\b0 Among the many traditions that have preserved the principal elements of Greek myth, a special
place has to be assigned to the \i Theogony\i0 , the epic in which the poet Hesiod, who lived between the eighth and ninth century BC, recounted the origins of the universe and the race of the gods.\par
In the beginning was Chaos, a formless, dark, and
primordial state that required no independent and preexisting creator. Out of Chaos emerged\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (the earth), followed by specific attributes of the cosmos:\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10513 Eros\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , or
iginal impulse and generative force; the grim figures of Erebus and Night, manifestations of the unbounded emptiness and darkness; and Pontus (the sea), with whom Gaea, the universal mother, generated monsters and semi-divine figures linked to the cycles
of life, and who would be the ancestors of the human race. The appearance of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the starry sky, introduced a male element as a counterweight to Gaea, earth and mother.\par
>From the union of Gaea and Uranus
were born the different forces of the universe. These represented atmospheric and volcanic phenomena, rivers and seas, celestial bodies, or even abstract concepts like justice.\par
As soon as Gaea gave birth to her children, Uranus hid them in the dept
h of the earth, inside their own mother, until Gaea, exhausted, incited her progeny to rebel. \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 placed himself at their head, seizing power and castrating his father: the blood from Cronus's mutilated genita
ls fertilized the earth and gave birth to the \b \cf4 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10511 Erinyes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , or Furies, while his seed, spilled into the sea, produced the foam from which \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrod
ite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was born.\par
But Cronus, who married his sister\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , took the same attitude toward his children as his father had done: as soon as they were born he devoured them. Like Uranus, he was to b
e overthrown by one of them.\par
\b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had escaped his father's ferocity, forced him to vomit up his brothers and sisters and they recognized him as the supreme deity. Finally, after a series of struggles with the "o
ld" gods, Zeus, his brothers and sisters, and their progeny imposed the rule of Olympus on the universe.\par
\f0 \fs24 \cf0 \par
\f1 \fs20 [2]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Aphrodite, known to the Roman world as\cf0 \cf7 Venus, was the goddess of love.
\par
There are various traditions about her birth: according to one version she was the daughter of\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\b \cf4 \ATXht10409 Dione\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Others claim that she was a daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 whose sexual organs, thrown into the sea by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , generated the goddess. When Aphrodite appeared she was carried by\cf4 \b \ATXht12600 Zephyr\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 first toward\cf4 \b \ATXht10340
Cythera\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and then to the coast of Cyprus, where the \b \cf4 \ATXht10820 Horae\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 dressed her before presenting her to the Immortals. Accepted among the gods of Olympus, she became the adopted daughter of Zeus. In anoth
er version of the same myth, Aphrodite was born from a shell and rose naked out of the foam of the sea.\par
In his philosophical interpretation of the myths, Plato imagined the existence of two different Aphrodites: Aphrodite Urania, the goddess of pure
love, and Aphrodite Pandemia (Popular), the daughter of Dione and the goddess of ordinary love.\par
Various groups of legends arose from that of Aphrodite in which she played a leading or secondary role, though they were not consistent with one another
. She became the wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but loved\b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and had affairs with other gods, including\cf4 \b \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and\cf4 \b \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . She did not disdain giving herself to ordinary mortals like \b \cf4 \ATXht10126 Anchises\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10107 Adonis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Numerous children were born from these unions: to Ares
she bore\cf4 \b \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht11623 Phobos\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (Fright) and Deimos (Fear), \b \cf4 \ATXht10513 Eros\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 and Anteros; Dionysus fathered\cf4 \b \ATXht11634 Priapus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , H
ermes,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10813 Hermaphroditus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and Anchises was father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
Wherever Aphrodite appeared, love was kindled. She even had this effect in effigy, as \b \cf4 \ATXht11637 Pygma
lion \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 discovered. The scorning of love moved her to anger and famous curses. She punished the women of\b \ATXht11207 \cf4 Lemnos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who did not worship her, by afflicting them with an unpleasant odor that prompted their hu
sbands to seek solace in the arms of Thracian prisoners. The women of Lemnos then killed all the men on the island and created a society made solely of women, until the \b \cf4 \ATXht102 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 arrived to correct the situation. E
ven her favor was dangerous, as the Trojans discovered when \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , awarding her the palm of beauty, earned them the enmity of \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , deities
of much greater power and vindictiveness than the goddess of love. Yet Aphrodite, though she could not save Paris or\cf4 \b \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , managed to preserve the Trojan race by helping\cf4 \b \ATXht201 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to ta
ke the\b \cf4 \ATXht201 \ATXht11613 Penates\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to Italy. This is why she was venerated as Mother Venus in Rome.\par
The cult of the goddess of love undoubtedly grew out of a pre-Greek foundation. In particular, the tradition of her b
irth and her power over the hearts of men can be linked to Oriental myths and to deities like Ashtoreth or Ishtar, known in the West as Astarte-linked linguistically with the name Aphrodite. The many versions of the legend of her birth and the fact that
she is sometimes placed among the daughters of Uranus, those of Cronus, or among the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11500 Oceanids\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the\cf4 \b \ATXht11320 Moerae\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and the\cf4 \b \ATXht10511 Erinyes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , are further te
stimonies to the antiquity of her cult, in which several different myths are bound together by the theme of fertility and love.\par
\par
\fs24 \cf0 [9]\par
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\f1 \cf7 The son of\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and\b \cf4 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Apollo was the twin brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and belonged to the second generation of Olympian gods. To avoid the jealous rage of \cf4 \b \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had pursued her all over th
e earth, Leto sought, in vain, a place to give birth. Only the island\cf4 \b \ATXht10140 Asteria\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 or \b \cf4 \ATXht11511 Ortygia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , barren and floating, was prepared to accept her. Assisted by Athena and all the other god
desses of Olympus, the mother remained in labor for nine days and nine nights, until Hera agreed to let\b \cf4 \ATXht10905 Ilithia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the goddess who presided over childbirth, descend from Olympus to help her. The moment that Ilithia set
foot on Ortygia, Leto started to give birth. She seized hold of a palm, the only tree that grew on the wandering isle, and brought into the world first Artemis and then her twin brother Apollo. At the moment of the god's birth sacred swans flew over Orty
gia. Apollo, in gratitude for the refuge the island had granted his mother, fixed it at the center of the Greek world and gave the new name of \cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10403 Delos\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (the Brilliant).\par
Zeus immediately made gifts to his new
son and smoothed away Hera's resentment. Themis nursed Apollo with nectar and ambrosia for four days, enough time for him to prepare to take revenge on his mother's enemies. Making his way to\cf4 \b \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , he used his arro
ws to kill the serpent\b \ATXht11641 \cf4 Python\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who on Hera's orders had persecuted Leto while she was carrying the divine twins. He then seized the oracle kept by the monster and consecrated a tripod in the temple; the\cf4 \b \ATXht11640 Pythia\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 gave out her oracles while seated on this stool.\par
The giant\cf4 \b \ATXht12015 Tityus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had tried to rape Leto at Hera's instigation, was also brought down by the arrows of Apollo (or of Apollo and Art
emis) and banished by Zeus to\cf4 \b \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where his liver was devoured eternally by two serpents or two vultures.\par
Apollo was very fond of his mother, whom he defended tenaciously not only from physical violence but
also from insults and sarcasm: on\b \cf15 \ATXht11408 \cf4 Niobe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who dared to mock her, he wreaked a terrible vengeance. His relationship with Zeus was one of esteem and respect, and only on two occasions did Apollo incur the wrath of
his father. The first time was when, at the instigation of Hera, all the gods of Olympus with the exception of\cf4 \b \ATXht10818 Hestia\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 tried to overthrow Zeus by taking him prisoner. The situation was resolved by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who sent\b \cf4 \ATXht10206 Briareus\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 to free him, but Apollo and Poseidon were condemned to serve King\b \cf4 \ATXht11205 Laomedon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , for whom they built the walls of\cf4 \b \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . On another occasion, Zeus and Apollo clashed over\b \cf4 \ATXht10139 Asclepius\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the son of Apollo who was worshipped at Epidauros and eventually burned to ashes with a lightning bolt for having dared to bring sever
al dead people back to life. Apollo took his revenge by killing the\b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but his father punished him by forcing him to remain in the service of \b \cf4 \ATXht10106 Admetus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , King of Thessaly, tend
ing his herds and flocks for nine years. He cannot have been a very conscientious herdsman if the newborn \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was able to carry off fifty heifers.\par
Though he refused to marry, Apollo had many loves, and not a
lways happy ones. His passion for the nymph\b \cf4 \ATXht1034 \ATXht10400 Daphne \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and the Trojan princess \b \cf4 \ATXht10306 Cassandra\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was not returned; he was betrayed by\cf4 \b \ATXht10330 Coronis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , w
ho preferred a mortal but bore him Asclepius; even \b \cf4 \ATXht11303 Marpessa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 left him for\b \ATXht10904 \cf4 Ida\cf15 s\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . He had more success with the nymph \b \cf4 \ATXht10339 Cyrene\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the\b \cf4 \ATXht11321 Muses\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 who were associated with his cult (Apollo Musagetes). His love affairs with the young men\cf4 \b \ATXht10821 Hyacinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf4 \b \ATXht10338 Cyparissus\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 are also fa
mous.\par
Though the powers attributed to Apollo were apparently very different in kind, they were in reality linked to one another. This made him the most complete expression of the divine conceived by the Greeks. He was, as we have seen, the god who
punishes, so that all unexpected deaths were attributed to his arrows, but he was also the god who gave succor with medicine. He had the power of prophecy and presided over the arts, especially those of song and music in which he was closely connected wi
th the Muses:\cf4 \b \ATXht11305 Marsyas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who doubted his supremacy, paid , who doubted his supremacy, paid a cruel price for his pride.\par
Apollo was also the god who protected the foundation of cities and defended the civil institut
ions of society. In the Greek world, he personified the rational mind and his figure was deliberately contrasted with personages or aspects of myth that represented passion, or animal instincts.\par
\par
\fs24 \cf0 [4]\par
\f0 \fs20 \par
\f1 \cf7 The
son of\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf4 \b \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Ares belonged to the second generation of Olympians and was numbered among the twelve main deities. He was the god of war, identified with the Italic Mars and repre
sented wearing armor, a helmet and bearing a shield, spear, and sword. He usually fought alone, but sometimes on a chariot drawn by four fiery horses and accompanied by his sons Deimos (Fear) and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11623 Phobos\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 (Fr
ight); the sisters\b \cf4 \ATXht10512 Eris\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (Discord) and \b \cf4 \ATXht10505 Enyo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , a lover of massacres and destroyer of cities whom the Romans called Bellona, also fought alongside him.\par
Ares never favored one side
or another in battle and, as the whim took him, fought first against one and then against the other. For him it was sufficient to provoke slaughter and plunder, to see blood flow and hear the sound of clashing arms. For this reason and the contempt that
he showed for the law, Ares was disliked by the other gods, including his parents. However, he was much appreciated by\cf4 \b \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who was happy to receive those who fell in battle. \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 also nursed a strong passion for him that roused the ire of\cf4 \b \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The goddess of love bore him (in addition to the already mentioned Phobos and Deimos)\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , (The Unifie
r),\b \cf4 \ATXht10513 Eros\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and Anteros (Love and Love returned, respectively). The \b \cf4 \ATXht10124 Amazons\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 were also considered to be his offspring.\par
The majority of the myths that feature Ares are ta
les of war or armed challenges and duels, but the god did not always emerge the victor. \b \cf4 \ATXht10408 Diomedes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , with the help of\cf4 \b \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , defeated him beneath the walls of\cf4 \b \ATXht12019 Troy
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and the gigantic\b \ATXht10121 \cf4 Aloadae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 twins succeeded in capturing him and holding him prisoner for thirteen months in a bronze vessel, until\cf4 \b \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 came to free him.\cf0
\b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 even brought a suit against him for willful murder, though he was acquitted.\par
The various myths reveal two aspects of Ares: on the one hand, he was seen as greedy for war and destruction and, on the other as th
e young athlete and lover of Aphrodite. This apparent duplicity can be traced back to an original unity, if we remember that in the setting where the god's ult first developed, before moving from Asia Minor to the archaic and classical Greek world. Ares
was probably conceived as the tutelary deity of female fertility. This may be the source of the tradition of warlike rites sacred to the god, which were in reality ritual combats linked with initiation and fertility. When the cult of Ares reached the Gr
eek world through Thrace, his characteristics underwent a change over the course of time, until they assumed the apparently twofold connotations attributed to the god in the classical era.\par
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\f1 \cf7 Artemis,
or\cf4 \cf7 Diana\cf0 \cf7 to the Romans, was the daughter of\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\b \cf4 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and, therefore, belonged to the second generation of Olympian gods. The circumstances of her birth, which
took place on the island of\cf4 \b \ATXht10403 Delos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , were the same as those of her twin brother\cf4 \b \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , except that she was the first to emerge from her mother's\cf4 \cf7 womb and then assisted her
in the birth of her brother. The cult and mythical traditions associated with Artemis took on different nuances in the different eras and regions in which she was venerated. Indeed in some places (such as Ionia) she was even considered the daughter of \cf4 \b \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf13 \ATXht0 \cf7 and linked to the great rites of fertility and the earth. In general, however, she was regarded as the female counterpart of Apollo and embodied the same characteristics.\par
The virgin goddess \i par excelle
nce\i0 , Artemis' severe and wild character had a youthful quality. Armed with a silver bow, arrows, and quiver, given to her by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , she took pleasure only in the hunt, in long pursuits of the stags that she
hunted in woods and ravines, along with her dogs and the wild beasts that obeyed her. She was accompanied in her activities by the\cf4 \b \ATXht11410 Nymphs\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and by a group of girls called \i arktoi\i0 (she-bears), who devoted their li
ves to her and took strict vows of chastity. Any of the virgins who lost their virginity, as happened to\cf4 \b \ATXht10303 Callisto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , invoked the wrath of Artemis. She used her bow to inflict sudden and painless death on mortals and was
the means by which disease and plague were spread among human beings and animals. On women, she caused death in childbirth.\par
She fought against the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and with her brother devoted herself to the sys
tematic persecution of their mother's enemies. She transfixed\cf4 \b \ATXht12015 Tityus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 when he tried to rape\cf4 \b \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and took part in the extermination of \cf4 \b \ATXht11408 Niobe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 's children. Her victims included the hunter\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10105 Actaeon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had seen her bathing naked, and the giant \b \cf4 \ATXht11508 Orion\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who figures in many myths. In some of these he sought to use violenc
e against the goddess or dared to challenge her at discus throwing (both acts which called for revenge); other sources declare that the killing of Orion by Artemis was involuntary.\par
Artemis appears in many legends, all connected with the theme of hun
ting.\par
From\b \cf4 \ATXht303 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , she demanded a justification for the killing of her \b \cf4 \ATXht303 sacred hind\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . She punished\b \cf4 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 for the same r
eason by ordering him to sacrifice\b \cf4 \ATXht10912 Iphigenia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . As goddess of the hunt she was honored in all wild and mountainous regions, such as Arcadia, Laconia, and Elis, and for this reason, as well as her refusal to submit to an
y man, was seen as the protectress of the\b \cf4 \ATXht10124 Amazons\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . But she was also\b \cf4 \ATXht11905 Selene\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , personification of the moon, just as her brother Apollo was a personification of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11624 Phoebus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the sun.\par
\par
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\cf7 Identified with\cf0 \cf7 Minerva by the Romans, Athena was the daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and\b \cf4 \ATXht11313 Metis\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and one of
the greatest deities of Olympus. Since\cf4 \b \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\b \cf0 \ATXht10700 \cf4 Gaea\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had predicted that one of\cf4 \b \ATXht11313 Metis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' children would one day rule over the Olympi
ans, Zeus swallowed his wife so that the child in her womb would not be born from her body. When Athena was ready to be born, Zeus ordered \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to open his head with a blow of his hammer and from the wound sprang At
hena, fully armed and shouting a terrible war cry. This miraculous birth was supposed to have taken place on the banks of the river \b \cf4 \ATXht12017 Triton\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (or Lake Tritonis), perhaps located in\b \cf0 \ATXht116 \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 Libya, and Athena was therefore given the epithet Tritogeneia.\par
Athena was raised by Triton and grew up with his daughter\b \cf4 \ATXht11602 Pallas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who became the goddess' unfortunate playmate. It is told that while the two girls we
re practicing the art of war, Pallas was about to strike Athena. Her father Zeus immediately intervened, placing his aegis, a goatskin capable of inspiring terror, between the two combatants. Pallas was so horrified by this that she was unable to avoid h
er friend's blow and was killed. In despair over the loss of Pallas, Athena made a statue of her, the Palladium, and assumed Pallas as one of her epithets.\par
Athena was portrayed as a virgin, with a heart untouched by human passions. It is told that s
he bore\cf4 \b \ATXht10509 Erichthonius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to Hephaestus without uniting with him. She was also a warrior goddess who played an important part in the\b \cf0 \ATXht10704 \cf4 Gigantomachia\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 (war of the giants). H
er hatred of\cf4 \b \ATXht1013 \ATXht11606 Paris \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 prompted her to fight on the side of the Achaeans in the Trojan War, and she was particularly fond of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10408 Diomedes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11309 Menelaus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . She protected \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 while he was carrying out his labors and, as a mark of his gratitude, rec
eived the gift of the\cf0 \cf7 golden apples\cf0 \cf7 of the\b \cf15 \ATXht10817 \cf4 Hesperides\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
However, Athena, as the daughter of Metis, was considered the most cultivated and the wisest of the gods. She devoted herself chief
ly to peaceful works. She introduced the olive to\b \ATXht1008 \b0 \ATXht0 Attica and was patron of all the arts, including those of practical utility, such as\cf0 \cf7 weaving, spinning, and embroidery. She invented the flute and the trumpet, the\cf0
\cf7 terra-cotta vase, the yoke for oxen, and the\cf0 \cf7 ship. She gave \b \cf4 \ATXht10203 Bellerophon\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 the bit that he used to tame\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11609 Pegasus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
As time passed, writers came to identi
fy Athena as the goddess of wisdom and reason, and it is in this role that she exercised her authority over the laws of the state. Order, the administration of justice, and the people' assembly were placed under her protection. It was claimed that she wa
s responsible for the creation of the Areopagus, the highest political body in Athens. It was at Athens that the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11604 Panathenaea\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 festivals were held in her honor.\par
\par
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\f1 \cf7 Demeter, known to the Romans by the name of Ceres, belonged to the first generation of the gods of Olympus, like her brothers\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and\cf4 \b \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 a
nd her sisters \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and\cf4 \b \ATXht10818 Hestia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Thus she was the daughter of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who swallowed her, and\b \cf4 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \i alt
er ego\i0 of\b \ATXht10335 \cf4 Cybele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , all of whom were identified with the Great Mother. While Gaea represented the primordial element and Rhea the power of generation, Demeter was t
he divinity of cultivated land and the goddess of grain. With the gift of agriculture and the foundation of\cf0 \cf7 civilization, Demeter also laid down the rules by which humanity should live and, as a consequence, its laws.\par
In her dual aspect as
Rhea-Demeter, the Orphic legends refer to her union with Zeus, which resulted in the birth of \b \cf4 \ATXht11100 Kore\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 or\cf4 \b \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Demeter's only child according to the classical tradition.\par
I
n legend, as in her cult, Demeter was closely bound to her daughter\cf4 \b \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who was abducted by Hades. In her desperate search for her daughter,\cf4 \b \ATXht1020 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 left\cf4 \b \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and renounced her divine functions, with the result that the earth grew barren and ceased to yield fruit until her daughter was returned to her, at least for part of the year. The ancients saw this myth as an implicit allusio
n to the cycles of nature, to the seasons, the harvests, and, in particular, the produce of the earth which spent part of the year hidden beneath its surface before blossoming and bearing fruit. There were also references (to which attention was drawn in
more than one philosophical text and, in all probability, in the Mysteries as well) to the destiny of the human being, whose body, buried under the ground like Persephone, did not prevent the soul from attaining immortality in a continuous cycle of deat
h and rebirth.\par
The central core of the legend of Demeter, whose significance was revealed only to initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries, was supplemented over the course of time by various secondary myths, such as that of her rape by\cf4 \b \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Another legend relates that Demeter fell in love with\b \cf4 \ATXht10901 Iasion\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and bore him a son called\b \cf4 \ATXht11628 Plutus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (Wealth).\par
All the myths, however contradictory, are in
agreement that she had no husband and that Demeter bore her children outside the ties of marriage.\par
\par
\cf0 [10]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The stories of Dionysus, who was also called\cf15 \cf7 Bacchus by both the Greeks and Romans, are extremely c
omplicated since they combine elements borrowed from a variety of cults, some of them of Oriental, or at least Anatolian and Syrian origin.\par
In the classical era, Dionysus was the god of the productive force of the earth and, in particular, of wine,
the vine, and mystical ecstasy. The son of\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the Theban princess\cf4 \b \ATXht11906 Semele\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , he was known as Dithyrambos, the "twice-born", because, taken prematurely from his mother's womb, he wa
s incubated in his father's thigh until he was ready to enter the world. To preserve him from the jealousy of\cf4 \b \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Zeus took him far away from Greece, to the country called Nysa (which may be the source of the name Dion
ysus), identified by some as Asia and others as Ethiopia. Here Dionysus was raised by the local nymphs who were later rewarded with a place in heaven as the constellation of the\b \cf4 \ATXht10822 Hyades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
He was already full-grown
and had invented wine when he was stricken with madness by Hera. In the grip of his delirium he wandered for a long time through Egypt and Syria, and then followed the coasts of Asia as far as India, where he was welcomed by the goddess\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10335 Cybele\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who purified him of his madness and initiated him into the rites of her cult. During these travels Dionysus taught the cultivation of the vine to the inhabitants of the regions he passed through and, at the same time, laid
the foundations of civilization. On his return to Europe he went to Thrace and, then, his native \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where he asserted his power. King\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Pentheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who tried to oppose him, w
as harshly punished. At\cf4 \b \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , his next destination, Dionysus displayed his power in a similar way, driving King\b \ATXht11635 \cf4 Proetus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 daughters along with all the women of the country mad, caus
ing them to devour their children. \par
The god then decided to visit\cf4 \b \ATXht11403 Naxos\b0 \cf15 \ATXht0 \cf7 and boarded a Tyrrhenian pirate ship. The treacherous crew, who set sail for Asia with the intention of selling their illustrious pa
ssenger into slavery, found themselves witnesses to an extraordinary prodigy, and all the sailors were changed into dolphins. After gradually imposing his cult in this way, the divine nature of Dionysus was recognized by all and the god was able to ascen
d into heaven and take his place among the Olympians. One of his first acts as a god was to abduct\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10137 Ariadne\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , abandoned on Naxos by \b \cf15 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who became his bride. There is als
o a tale of his love affair with \b \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , to whom \b \cf15 \ATXht11634 Priapus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was born.\par
\par
In the oldest legends, Dionysus is accompanied by the \b \cf15 \ATXht10318 Charities\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 or Graces, but very soon the frenzied\b \ATXht10200 \cf15 Bacchantes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , also known as\b \ATXht11300 \b0 \ATXht0 Maenads, and \b \cf15 \ATXht11908 Sileni\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 began to appear at his side during his expeditions and lon
g journeys. In the later, stories\b \ATXht11909 \cf15 Silenus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was the tutor of Dionysus who kept him company on all his travels. King\b \ATXht1042 \cf15 \ATXht11314 Midas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' kindness to him was rewarded by Dionysus with the gift of the golden touch.\par
Not very
widespread in Homeric Greece, the cult of Dionysus grew stronger in the Hellenistic era, roughly in the period following Alexander the Great's expedition to India. In Rome it assumed more unrestrained and orgiastic aspects, leading the Senate to prohibit
celebration of the Bacchanalia in 186 BC. However, the cult was preserved by the mystic sects that celebrated the Dionysian Mysteries.\par
\par
\cf0 [1]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The son of \b \cf15 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\b \cf0 \ATXht11800 \cf15 Rhea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Hades, along with his brother \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and sisters \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10818 Hestia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf15 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was swallowed by his father until being delivered by \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , his other brother. He took part in the struggle with the\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 wearing a helmet given to him by the\cf0
\b \cf15 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 that made him invisible. The name Hades originally meant "Invisible."\par
When the universe was divided among the gods, he received the Underworld, known as\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 or Tartarus, while Zeus was given the Sky and \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 lordship over the Sea.\par
Although he belonged to the new generation of gods, Hades was not numbered among the Olympians because he never emerged into the l
ight of day. His only direct contact was with \b \cf15 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had the task of accompanying the dead into the next world.\par
\par
In the \b \cf15 \ATXht10907 Infernal Regions\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Hades ruled with an iron han
d and permitted none of his subjects to return to the world of the living, apart from a few rare\cf0 \cf7 exceptions.\par
He was assisted in his task by demons and various spirits subject to his orders:\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10319 Charon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0
,\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht10315 Cerberus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and so on. By his side, and no less cruel, reigned\b \ATXht11617 \cf15 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whom Hades abducted from her mother\b \cf4 \ATXht11 \cf15 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Later, the god of the dead was obliged to return her but succeeded in binding her to his world for a third of the\b \cf0 \ATXht1020 \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 year. No children were born from their union, although one tradition asser
ts that the infernal couple had generated the\cf15 \b \ATXht10511 Erinyes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
Hades appears rarely in legends, and his name was usually not spoken to avoid arousing his anger. He was mostly referred to by his epithets. The most
common of these was\b \ATXht11627 \cf15 Pluto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , which means "the Wealthy" and alludes to the riches hidden in the earth. This was the name that the Romans used for Hades.\par
\par
\cf0 [7]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Called Vulcan by the R
omans, Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire and, therefore, of metals and metalworking. For Homer he was the son of \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but it was sometimes said that Hera had generated him a
lone, through parthenogenesis, out of her anger over the birth of \b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had emerged from Zeus' head and not the womb of a woman.\par
Unlike the other gods of \b \cf15 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , all beau
tiful and of remarkable proportions, Hephaestus was born so frail and ungainly that his mother immediately threw him down from the heights of Olympus out of embarrassment at his appearance. He fell into\b \ATXht11501 \cf15 Oceanus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , wher
e he was taken in by\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht10519 Eurynome\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who looked after him for nine years. He then went to live in an undersea grotto, where he made jewelry for them.\par
\par
Th
e relationship between Hephaestus and his mother was ambivalent. To take his revenge for his rejection by Hera, he bound her to a throne that he had constructed for her, but then took her side several times during the frequent disputes she had with Zeus.
On one occasion his interference earned him a second fall; Zeus seized him by one foot and flung him from Olympus. His flight lasted one day and ended on the island of \b \cf15 \ATXht11207 Lemnos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where the god was picked up and revived
by the inhabitants. He was crippled by his impact with the ground, but it was also said that he was lame at birth.\par
\par
His work as a blacksmith gave Hephaestus great muscular strength in his arms and great manual skill. He took part in the strugg
le against the\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but was also capable of creating extremely sophisticated mechanisms, such as the net that trapped\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the fire-breathing bulls of \b \cf15 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , not to mention the form that he was able to give to\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11605 Pandora\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . As well as Olympus, where forty bellows were operated on his o
rders, his forges were located under volcanoes, where the\b \ATXht10336 \cf15 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 worked as his assistants.\par
\par
In spite of his appearance, his shy and surly character, it seems that Hephaestus was able to attract women
of great beauty. Two of the\b \cf4 \ATXht10318 \cf15 Charities\b0 \cf4 \ATXht0 \cf7 were supposed to have been his wives, but most astounding of all was his marriage to Aphrodite, the epitome of beauty. Various sources also mention Athena as one of hi
s wives, granted to him by Zeus in gratitude for the help the smith gave him in bringing her into the world. However, at the moment of their union Athena vanished without becoming his wife, and from Hephaestus' seed that spilled on the earth was born \b \cf15 \ATXht10509 Erichthonius\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the legendary hero of the Athenians. Other sons of Hephaestus included Palaemon, one of the\b \ATXht10134 \cf15 Argonauts\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and the celebrated sculptor Ardalus, who inherited his father's ma
nual dexterity. With Periphetes, an infamous brigand killed by\b \ATXht12010 \cf15 Theseus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , he passed on the dark side of his character.\par
\par
\cf0 [3]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Hera, or Juno in the Latin world, was the daughter of
\b \cf15 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . She was swallowed by her father along with \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht10818 Hestia
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf15 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and liberated by her brother \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who also became her husband. There are various legends dealing with this union, the most common of which speaks of a sec
ret marriage that took place on Mount \b \cf15 \ATXht10903 Ida\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 in Troas or Mount \b \cf15 \ATXht10325 Cithaeron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 in Boeotia. The inhabitants of \cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11900 Samos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 claimed that th
e marriage was consummated on their island and lasted for three hundred years before it was made public. Another version speaks instead of a magnificent ceremony held in the palace of\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11501 Oceanus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 at the westernmost
edge of the earth, attended by all the gods who brought gifts: \b \cf15 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 offered to Hera the golden apples kept in the garden of the\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10817 Hesperides\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Some say that it was Hera who sed
uced her younger brother, having chosen him at the moment of his birth; others that Zeus possessed the evasive Hera when, during a storm, she held him in her lap in the form of a frightened cuckoo.\par
\par
Hera fought at Zeus' side against the\b \cf15 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and then against the \b \cf15 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , causing the death of \b \cf15 \ATXht11632 Porphyrion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who was seized by a violent passion for her. This later happened to\b \cf0 \ATXht1026 \cf15 \ATXht10917 Ixion \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 as well, but he met an even worse fate. When Zeus had established his sovereignty, Hera sat by his side at the councils and banquets of the gods. Rather than queen of the immortals, Hera was consider
ed the consort of the king of the gods and men, to whom she owed unquestioning obedience like all the other Olympians. She was a faithful and sensible wife, though jealous and petulant. From their union were born \b \cf15 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,
\b \cf0 \ATXht10905 \cf15 Ilithia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and\b \ATXht10804 \cf15 Hebe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . As for her fourth son, \b \cf15 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , there is also the myth that Hera conceived him on her own without her husband's involv
ement to repay him for having given birth to \b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 from his own head instead of from a woman's womb. In fact, Hera was considered the protectress of brides and birth.\par
\par
Hera's relationship with her husband was
not always straightforward. Zeus listened to her advice and made his own secret thoughts known to her, but Hera sometimes behaved toward him like an independent deity and did not hesitate to oppose him and to act against his will. In such cases Zeus some
times reacted with a heavy hand. Once he even suspended her among the clouds, with her hands bound and two anvils tied to her feet. On that occasion, Hephaestus' defense of his mother aroused the anger of his father, who cast him down from \b \cf15 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Prompted by her fierce ambition, Hera even organized, with \b \cf15 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , a mutiny against Zeus, in which all the gods of Olympus took part with the
exception of Hestia. The master of the gods was tied to his bed with leather thongs, knotted a hundred times, but the rebellion was brought to an end by \b \cf15 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who, fearing a civil war over the succession, sent\cf0
\b \cf15 \ATXht10206 Briareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to free him.\par
\par
Hera's jealous, violent, and vindictive character resulted in some memorable clashes with her husband, whom she was unable to forgive for his numerous infidelities, which she too
k as personal insults. Her hatred was directed not just toward her husband's lovers (willing or not), as\b \cf0 \ATXht1021 \cf15 Semele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 discovered too late, but also at those who gave them succor, such as\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10501
Echo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and even the children born from those liaisons. The most famous of these was\b \ATXht301 \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 whose mother,\b \ATXht10120 \cf15 Alcmene\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , had the misfortune of attractin
g Zeus. Numerous other legends in which Hera played a leading or secondary role portrayed her along the same lines: she was responsible for the tragic fate of \b \cf0 \ATXht1003 \cf15 \ATXht10909 Io\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , drove \b \cf15 \ATXht10141 Athamas
\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht10908 Ino\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 out of their minds, incited \b \cf15 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 against \b \cf15 \ATXht10303 Callisto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and so on.\par
\par
The rages and revenges of Hera were also pr
ompted by more petty motives, as was discovered by the soothsayer \b \cf15 \ATXht12012 Tiresias\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who contradicted her, or by the Trojans who earned her undying enmity as a result of the preference that \b \cf0 \ATXht11606 \cf15 Pari
s\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had given to the beauty of \b \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Zeus, who was afraid of her, was obliged to deal with her anger and, when he could, correct her excesses.\par
\par
\cf0 [12]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The Gr
eek Hermes, corresponding to the Roman Mercury, was born to \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11301 Maia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , one of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11626 Pleiades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , in a cave on Mount \b \cf15 Cyllene\b0 \cf7 . Within a few hours of his birth the god started to reveal some of the characteristics that were to make him famous: ingenuity, cunning, adulation, and a propensity for larceny. "Born early in the morning," we are told by Homer, "he was already playing t
he lyre by midday and stealing the cattle of \b \cf15 Apollo \b0 \cf7 by evening."\par
Hermes plays a leading role only in the myths of his childhood. Later he almost always appears in legends as a secondary figure, mainly as the messenger or intermedia
ry of the gods. In fact, Zeus wanted him as his herald and gave him the task of maintaining contact between\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the world of \b \cf15 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , to which Hermes guided the s
hades of the dead.\par
\par
In the guise of an emissary he accompanied King\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to \b \cf15 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf7 '\ATXht0 tent to ask for the body of
\b \cf15 \ATXht10807 Hector\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 for burial; saved\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 from the enchantments of \b \cf15 \ATXht407 Circe \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and ordered\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10304 Calypso \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 t
o set the hero free; was entrusted by Zeus with the task of liberating \b \cf15 \ATXht10909 Io\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had been turned into a cow and placed under the surveillance of\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10136 Argus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ; led \b \cf15 \ATXht3 He
ra\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to\b \cf15 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 for the famous judgment; and took \b \cf15 \ATXht11605 Pandora\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to ear
th for the damnation of men.\par
\par
As always, there are conflicting versions of the stories of Hermes' loves. According to one tradition he fathered\cf15 \b \ATXht10513 Eros\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to Aphrodite, or alternatively\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10813
Hermaphroditus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whose name is a fusion of those of both parents. Another of Hermes' children was\b \ATXht11603 \cf15 Pan\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , born to the daughter of King \b \cf15 \ATXht10412 Dryops\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who abandoned him
immediately after she gave birth, frightened by the sight of his hairy body. The envious\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10117 Aglauros\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 paid the consequences of his love for \b \cf15 \ATXht10815 Herse\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
Hermes proclai
med himself king of thieves and was also the god of commerce and the protector of gamblers. He guided travelers on the road and his images (herms) were set up at crossroads and city gates. He watched over herdsmen because he knew about rustling. He was a
lso the tutelary deity of all the gymnastic games in Greece and was considered the originator of sacrifices to the\cf0 \cf7 gods.\par
\cf0 \par
[12]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The son of \b \cf15 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Poseidon (Neptune to the Romans) was one of the Olympians, equal to \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 in dignity, if not power. When, after the deposition of \b \cf15 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had swallowed h
im along with his brother \b \cf15 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and sisters\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10818 Hestia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , lots were cast to divide power among
the brothers, he received the kingdom of the sea, while Zeus was given the heavens and Hades the underground kingdom of the dead. The earth remained a common domain. Poseidon did not just command the sea, but was able to cause storms and tidal waves and
to shake the earth with his trident, a gift of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . His underwater palace stood off Aeges, in Euboea, with its stables housing his horses with bronze hooves and golden manes. When Poseidon appeared on his go
lden chariot drawn by these horses storms ceased and sea monsters emerged from the waves to act as his escort.\par
\par
Though a gloomy and quarrelsome figure, Poseidon maintained good relations with his brother Zeus, fighting alongside him against the
\b \cf15 \ATXht1001 Titans\ATXht12014 \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and in the\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10704 Gigantomachia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . However, on one occasion he attempted to overthrow Zeus with the complicity of Hera and \b \cf15 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0
. Zeus was set free by the intervention of \b \cf15 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who sent\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10206 Briareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 with his one hundred hands to untie the bonds that imprisoned him, and Poseidon was forced to under
go the humiliation of serving King \b \cf15 \ATXht11205 Laomedon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , for whom he raised the walls of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
As he needed a wife who would be at ease in the depths of the sea, Poseidon courted
the powerful \b \cf15 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but when he learned of an ancient prophecy that a child born to her would depose its father, he renounced the marriage and allowed the goddess to wed the mortal \b \cf15 \ATXht11610 Peleus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . He then set his sights on the haughty Amphitrite, whom he eventually succeeded in marrying. But it was a stormy and difficult relationship, since Poseidon continued to run after nymphs, goddesses, and mortal women. He united with\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht12009 Theophane\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 in the form of a ram and possessed his sister Demeter in that of a stallion.\par
\par
>From his many unions, all of them fertile, he had, like Zeus, many children. But while Zeus' sons were generally beneficent
heroes, Poseidon's were often rough giants, violent monsters, or treacherous beings. They included the Cyclops\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11631 Polyphemus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10321 Chrysaor\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 generated from\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Nauplius, and \b \cf15 \ATXht10316 Cercyon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the notorious tyrant of \b \cf15 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who was killed by\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Yet\cf0 \cf7 h
e was very fond of these offspring, as was discovered by \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 when he blinded\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11631 Polyphemus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and by \b \cf15 \ATXht10307 Cassiopeia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whose own prid
e nearly led to the loss of her daughter\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
When human beings organized themselves into cities and each god, desiring to receive special honors, wished to become a poliadic deity (protector of
a \i polis\i0 , or city), Poseidon too entered the contest, though he generally failed. He fought for the city of \b \cf15 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 with Hera, but was unsuccessful. He desired the island of\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10111 Aegina
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but was defeated by Zeus. He tried again with\cf15 \b \ATXht11403 Naxos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but this went to Dionysus. The most famous dispute was with Athena over the possession of Athens and\cf0 \cf7 Attica, but Poseidon lost once ag
ain. However, no one was able to take away his marvelous island,\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10142 Atlantis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , hidden in the midst of the River \b \cf15 \ATXht11501 Oceanus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\cf0 [8]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 In the whole of th
e Greek literary tradition, and subsequently in the Roman world where he was known by the name of Jupiter, Zeus is presented as the highest and most powerful of the immortals, the one to whom all owed obedience. It was by his will that good and evil were
distributed among the men whom \b \cf15 \ATXht11636 Prometheus \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had created out of mud, but even Zeus was subject to \b \cf15 \ATXht10600 Fate\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
Armed with thunder and lightning ("the Thunderer" or "the Archer"), Zeu
s was able to unleash storms by striking his shield and, at least up until the classical era, many natural phenomena were attributed to his direct intervention. The oak tree was sacred to him, and it was through the rustling of its leafy branches that he
revealed his presence at the oracular sanctuary of \b \cf15 \ATXht10411 Dodona\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Another of his oracles was at the grove in\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11505 Olympia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 called Altis. His seat was the peak of Mount \b \cf15 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
Son of the Titan\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Zeus belonged, like all the Olympians, to the second generation of gods. Cronus, warned by an oracl
e that one of his children would depose him, devoured them one by one as they came into the world, but Rhea, after having fed him \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht10818 Hestia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , asked \b \cf15 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to help her to save the life of the unborn child
, Zeus. The ancient gods took Rhea to Lictos on the island of Crete, where she gave birth to the divine infant in a cave on Mount \b \cf15 \ATXht10903 Ida\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . After the birth of Zeus, Rhea deceived Cronus by presenting him with a huge ston
e wrapped in cloth, which he swallowed, believing he had gotten rid of another possible rival. The nymph (or goat)\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10123 Amalthea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 raised the future king of the gods, nursing him on honey provided by the nymph\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11308 Melissa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
As predicted by the oracle, when Zeus reached manhood he desired to seize the power held by Cronus. On the advice of Gaea or\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11313 Metis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , he convinced his fath
er to take a drug that made him vomit the children he had swallowed and the stone that had taken Zeus' place. This was later placed by Zeus himself at \b \cf15 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where it became an object of veneration as the \i ompha
los\i0 , the navel or center of the earth and the universe.\par
With the support of his revived brothers and sisters, Zeus overthrew Cronus and then fought the\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht1001 Titans\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . After the victory they drew lots to divide
their power. Zeus received the sky, while his brothers Poseidon and Hades were assigned the sea and the underworld respectively; the earth remained a common domain. After putting down the revolt of the\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , w
ho had attacked Olympus\cf0 \cf7 (\b \cf15 \ATXht10704 Gigantomachia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ), Zeus faced his last trial before establishing absolute mastery of the world, a terrible struggle with the monster\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht12021 Typhoeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0
or Typhon.\par
\par
A providential god, conscious of his responsibilities, Zeus did not allow himself to be carried away by his own whims as did the other gods of Olympus, except in matters of love. From his unions were born gods and goddesses who too
k their seats in the great assembly of the Olympians; his affairs with mortal women generated other gods or races of heroes (see\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht60 genealogical table\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ).\par
The first of Zeus' wives was \b \cf15 \ATXht11313 Metis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , followed by \b \cf15 \ATXht12007 Themis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The latter marriage had an obvious symbolic value as it generated eternal Order and Law. One tradition states that Zeus fathered Aphrodite to\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10409 Dione\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . There were other divine unions with \b \cf15 \ATXht10814 Hermione\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Demeter, \b \cf15 \ATXht11319 Mnemosyne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . It was at this point that came Zeus' "sacred marriage
" with his sister Hera, his official wife.\par
\par
Zeus also had fleeting relationships with innumerable mortal women. The most famous of the children born from these unions, apart from \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who were accepted among the Olympians, were the heroes \b \cf15 \ATXht12001 Tantalus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . There was no region of the Hellenic world that did not boast an eponym fr
om among the children of Zeus: the Lacedaemonians claimed descent from the god and the nymph \b \cf15 \ATXht12004 Taygete\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ; the Argives recognized Argus as their ancestor; the Cretans boasted of originating from the children of\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The great protagonists of the legends and many of the heroes were connected with him: \b \cf15 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11309 Menelaus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , for instance, were said
to be descended from \b \cf15 \ATXht12002 Tantalus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 from \b \cf15 \ATXht10108 Aeacus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
The master of the world often chose his lovers on a whim, taki
ng them by subterfuge in different aspects or forms, and left his victims exposed to the revenge of his jealous and outraged wife Hera. This is what happened to the tender\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10909 Io\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , to\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10303 Call
isto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and to \b \cf15 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . It was also the fate of \cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11906 Semele\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , though she bore him the divine Dionysus. On other occasions, poets and mythographers have tried see Ze
us' desire to beget children on mortal women as a providential act:\b \cf0 \ATXht1004 \cf15 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whom he united with in the form of a swan, had to give birth to\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 in order to p
rovoke a bloody war that would reduce the excessive population of Greece and Asia; the trick he played on \b \cf15 \ATXht10120 Alcmene\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 led to the birth of \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the hero destined to rid the
world of monsters.\par
\par
\cf0 [1009]\par
\cf7 \par
While\cf4 \b \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was still the "maid"\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11100 Kore\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 fell desperately in lov
e with her and asked \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 for her hand in marriage. Zeus did not wish to offend his elder brother by refusing, but knew that her mother \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 would never forgive him if he allowed her t
o be confined in\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . So, he responded, diplomatically, that he could neither reject nor comply with the request. Hades took this as an authorization to take what he wanted by force. One day, while Persephon
e was gathering flowers on the plain of Nysa, in Boeotia (or near Enna, in Sicily), the earth opened up and Hades emerged from the dark depths of the kingdom of the dead. He seized Kore and carried her away on his golden chariot, drawn by immortal black
horses. The girl cried out to her father Zeus, who did not hear her, or pretended not to. But her ineffectual cry did reach\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10805 Hecate\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and\b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who told Demeter of the abductio
n. As long as she remained beneath the vault of heaven, Kore did not give up the hope of returning to her mother and seeing the other gods again, but when her uncle dragged her into the depths of the earth she resigned herself to reigning over the kingdo
m of the dead.\par
\par
\cf0 [1038]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The bold \b \cf4 \ATXht10105 Actaeon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , from the Theban stock of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10105 Cadmus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was unbeatable at the art of hunting, which he had been taught
by the centaur\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Chiron\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and his hunts became legendary throughout Boeotia. One blazing midday, the young man put down his bow and entered an unfamiliar valley in search of relief from the heat. Here, he surprised\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who, with her band of companions, was bathing naked in a spring. This occurred by chance, not malice, but the punishment took no account of his intentions. The goddess reddened with shame and, to protect
herself, splashed water into Actaeon's face. At once, a great set of antlers sprouted on his head, his neck grew longer, his members turned into slender legs, and his body was cloaked with fur. He had become a magnificent stag who was then attacked and
torn to pieces by the fifty hounds of his own pack.\par
\par
\cf0 [1031]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The fate of Adonis was sealed from his birth. He was generated from the forbidden passion that his mother\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11912 Smyrna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , or Myrrha, conceived for her own father \b \cf4 \ATXht10323 Cinyras\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , King of Cyprus, in whose bed she lay for twelve nights in a row as an unknown maid. In the end, Cinyras discovered, by lamplight, the identity of his lover and, horrified, pursued his daughter with his sword in hand
to wash away the shame of both with blood. But Smyrna, who was carrying an incestuous child in her womb, cried out for protection from the gods and was changed into the tree of myrrh whose bark oozes with scented tears. Ten months later a child of extrao
rdinary beauty emerged from the trunk of the tree and was given the name of Adonis, "fruit of the wood."\par
\b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , struck by the beauty of the young Adonis, wished to conceal him from the gaze of all women, whether
divine or mortal, and, placing him in a coffer, gave him to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 for safekeeping. But, Persephone, too, became infatuated with Adonis and refused to give him back. The question was brought before\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who expressed the same judgment as he had once done with Persephone herself, when she was\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1020 disputed between Demeter and Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Thus, it was decided that Adonis would spend a third of
the year with Aphrodite, a third with Persephone, and a third wherever he himself chose. In reality Adonis always spent two thirds of the year in the loving company of Aphrodite, until he was killed by the tusk of a boar that was set on him, for unknown
reasons, by an angry\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . From the blood of his wounds sprang a fragile but beautiful flower, the anemone.\par
\par
\cf0 [1052]\par
\b \cf7 \par
\b0 One day, flying low over Attica,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 He
rmes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 saw\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10815 Herse\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the most beautiful of the girls taking part in the \b \cf4 \ATXht11604 Panathenaea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The god followed the maid, who had smitten his heart, as far as her fathe
r's house. Here, he met Herse's sister Aglauros, who had the impudence to ask him who he was and what he wanted. Hermes answered politely and clearly explained his intentions, but instead of being flattered by the honor paid to her sister, Aglauros was f
illed with envy and plotted to prevent their union. Out of love of the fair Herse, the god tried gently to persuade her jealous sister, but finally, his patience exhausted, he raised the caduceus, the staff that he carried as herald of the gods, and brou
ght down the door. Aglauros tried to get up but was overcome by great weariness: all her members grew stiff until she turned into a stone statue.\par
\b \par
\b0 \cf0 [1032]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Having used her power to rouse passions to incite the
lord of the gods to pursue earthly women, \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 took his revenge by inspiring\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 herself to desire the embrace of a mortal, the king and shepherd \b \cf4 \ATXht10126 Anchis
es\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . When she saw him for the first time, the young man was pasturing his flocks in solitude o\cf0 n \b \cf4 \ATXht10903 Mount Ida\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , near Troy, and his beauty made Aphrodite fall in love with him at once. The goddess prese
nted herself to him in the guise of a beautiful girl from the retinue o\cf0 f \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , lost in the woods. The pair made love on the skins of bears and lions that had been killed by the young man. Afterwards, Aphrodite
revealed herself in all her immortal splendor and Anchises, terrified, covered his face and begged for salvation: for no mortal man could continue to live after having lain with a goddess. Aphrodite assured him of his safety, as long as he kept the secr
et, and revealed to him that she had conceived a child. One feast day, however, Anchises drank too much wine and boasted of his loves, provoking Zeus to strike him with a thunderbolt, laming him. He died as an old man at\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht210 Drepanum
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , when he was traveling to Italy with\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the son born to him by Aphrodite, after the destruction of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [1053]\par
\f0 \par
\f1
\b \cf4 \ATXht10307 Cassiopea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , queen of Ethiopia, claimed to be more attractive than many of the immortals, and unquestionably more so than all the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Challenging them to a beauty contest, sh
e afterward claimed to be the winner. The nymphs demanded satisfaction from\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and the god responded by unleashing a terrible flood against Ethiopia and, then, a sea monster that devastated the country. An ora
cle declared that the only way to placate the terrifying creature was to sacrifice the princess\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and the people forced her father \b \cf4 \ATXht10314 Cepheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to chain the girl to a rock
. It was there, on the seashore, that\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 saw her on his way back from his expedition against the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10706 Gorgons\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and fell in love with her at once. He told Cepheus
that he would free his daughter if he gave her to him in marriage. The hero killed the monster and wedded Andromeda, but then had to fight the forces of \b \cf4 \ATXht11621 Phineus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the girl's uncle and betrothed, who demanded that she
keep her word. Perseus got the better of his adversaries by holding up the head of the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and turning them to stone.\par
\par
\cf0 [1028]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht10131 Arachne\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0
was neither a nymph nor a queen, but an ordinary mortal girl who had earned great fame for her skill in the weaving of wool, an art that she must have learned directly from\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . But Arachne claimed otherwise, and
even said that she could teach a thing or two to the goddess. So Athena appeared at her loom in the guise of an old woman and, smiling, advised her to be more prudent so as not to anger the goddess. The girl replied with harsh words and challenged Athen
a, wherever she might be, to compete with her in the use of the spindle and needle. The goddess revealed herself and the contest began. Athena chose to represent the twelve gods of Olympus in all their glory and then, as a warning to the girl, added exam
ples of the punishment of human pride in the four corners of the fabric. Arachne, working with speed, wove a picture of the loves of the gods, depicting those unions which were not to their credit:\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 de
ceived by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 in the form of a bull,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 lying beneath the wings of the swan, and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 mounting his sister\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 in the guise of a stallion. Her work was so perfect that Athena, in rage, tore it to pieces and struck her rival with the shuttle. In humiliation and desperation, Arachne hung herself, but the goddess changed her into a spider
so that she could go on living and weaving her thread.\par
\f0 \fs24 \par
\f1 \fs20 \cf0 [1012]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 were united for the first time in the pala
ce of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 : the god of war, handsome in appearance, must have derived a perverse pleasure from violating the marriage and bed of his ill-favored brother. Without their realizing it,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11624 Pho
ebus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 observed the lovers from above and reported the betrayal to Aphrodite's husband. Hephaestus was devastated and abandoned what he was working on, but as soon as he had recovered began to plot his revenge. With great care he forg
ed slender chains of bronze and a net that could neither be disentangled nor broken. He secretly attached this to the supports of the bed and then pretended to leave for\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11207 Lemnos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the island where he was most vener
ated. When Aphrodite and Ares lay on the bed, they were caught in the marvelous trap and were unable to rise. At this point Hephaestus threw open the bronze doors, followed by the gods of \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 whom he had called as
witnesses: modestly, the gods refrained from entering the chamber. All of them laughed uproariously, however, and the lovers, exposed to this mockery, were thrown into great confusion. After he had been freed, the touchy Ares withdrew into the mountains
of Thrace. The more shameless Aphrodite flew calmly to \b \cf4 \ATXht11608 Paphos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where she was welcomed by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10318 Charities\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , or Graces.\par
\f0 \fs24 \par
\f1 \fs20 \cf0 [1063]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 While\cf4 \b \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was searching all over Greece for his sister\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , abducted by\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 in the guise of a bull, the oracle at\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 told him to follow a cow that bore the white mark of the full moon on both flanks: in the place where she first rested her head, he was to build his city, Cadmea, nucleus of the future\cf4 \b \ATXht12006 Thebes
\par
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 The animal led him step by step to a region that from that time on was known as Boeotia, the "land of the cow." When, exhausted, she lay down and rested her head on the grass, Cadmus realized that the oracle's prediction had been f
ulfilled and decided to offer the heifer as a sacrifice to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . In order to draw the lustral water, however, he had to fight the dragon, a son of the god\cf4 \b \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , that guarded the spr
ing Areia. Armed not with a sword or a spear, but with no more than a stone in his fist, he succeeded in killing the dragon.\par
He then sowed the dragon's teeth and, at once armed men, the Sparti or "Sown Men," sprang from the ground. Cadmus shrewdly a
ttacked them by throwing stones. Convinced that they had been struck by their own companions, the Sparti turned on one another, until only five of them were left alive. Cadmus, an unarmed man, had created the nucleus of a warrior people (the Spartans), f
amous in the classical era for their military skill. His work as a founder complete, Cadmus was made the king of Thebes by \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and received\cf4 \b \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 as his bride from \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , in recompense for the loss of his sister Europa.\par
\par
\cf0 [1039]\par
\b \cf7 \par
\cf4 \ATXht10303 Callisto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , or the "most beautiful", was a nymph of the Arcadian woods who had chosen to live far from men,
among the band of virgin companions of \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whose favorite she was.\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 saw her and fell in love, but in order to unite with her was obliged to resort to an unusual stratagem, t
hat of assuming the appearance of the goddess of the chase herself. Callisto's transgression was discovered shortly afterward, when she undressed to bathe in a spring. Her now obvious pregnancy offended Artemis, who expelled her from the band, withdrawin
g her protection and leaving her exposed to the vengeance of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who was patiently waiting for the moment to strike. When Callisto bore Zeus a son, called Arcas, Hera made her move: first she changed Callisto into
a shaggy bear and then, not content with that, caused her to be hunted by Artemis, who killed her with her arrows. However, some say that it was Arcas, inspired by Hera, who killed his mother fifteen years later, when she was still wandering desperately
in the form of an animal. Zeus set Callisto among the stars by making the constellation of the Great Bear appear in the sky.\par
\par
\cf0 [1060]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Tired of his lengthy confinement on Crete after having planned and built the\cf0
\b \cf4 \ATXht1045 labyrinth\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10402 Daedalus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 dreamed of returning to his native land, from which he was kept away by the vigilant fleets of\cf4 \b \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Yet, while Minos
may have been master of the land and sea, he had no dominion over the air.\par
So the great architect built a bizarre device, unknown to the science of the day: he took a bundle of feathers and skillfully arranged them to resemble the wings of a bird, b
ound them with cord, and fixed them at the base with wax. When the work was finished, Daedalus attached a pair of these wings to his shoulders and did the same with his son\cf15 \b \cf4 \ATXht10902 Icarus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , warning him not to fly too hig
h, close to the blaze of the sun. He then launched himself into the air, his son following behind.\par
They had already passed\cf4 \b \ATXht10403 Delos\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 on their left when the young man began to take delight in their daring feat: fascin
ated by the sky, he flew higher, toward the burning sun. Its heat melted the wax and the feathers came unstuck. Icarus beat his arms frantically, but plummeted straight into the waters off\cf4 \b \ATXht11900 Samos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , into the sea that is
still known by his name.\par
\par
\cf0 [1034]\par
\b \cf7 \par
\b0 It is told that the nymph\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10400 Daphne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 's first love. If this was so, the god of the silver b
ow did not get his lively amorous career off to a good start.\par
The fault seems to have been that of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10513 Eros\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who, irritated by a cutting remark made by Apollo, struck him with the golden arrow that stirred t
he fires of passion at the very moment that he transfixed Daphne with the blunt dart that inspired revulsion. Thus, Apollo fell desperately in love with the nymph, but she would have nothing to do with him: she consecrated herself to\b \ATXht13 \cf4 Art
emis\cf7 \b0 \ATXht0 and sought refuge in the depths of the woods, where she found happiness only while hunting wild animals. Apollo, more and more ardent, began to follow her, trying to make her yield with flattery and promises until, his patience exha
usted, he chased her without respite, like a dog hunting its prey. The pursuer was on the point of seizing her when Daphne called upon Gaea, the goddess of the Earth, to save her. At once the members of her body grew heavy, her hair grew into leafy frond
s, and her feet turned into roots: nothing was left of her beauty but its sheen and Apollo found himself embracing a plant scented with laurel.\par
a sharp pang in her heart, the cry of her daughter\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 as she was torn from the world of the living by the burning\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1009 love of Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , she flew like a bird over la
nds and sea in search of her, wandering for nine days and nights with two flaming torches in her hands. She refused to touch either nectar or ambrosia, which are the food of the gods.\par
Enraged with the whole of Olympus, Demeter's anger turned to fury
when, on the tenth day of her search,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 dared to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1007 rape her\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . She then decided never to mount into Heaven again and to abdicate her divine function. This resulted in
a world-wide drought and the lack of new harvests. \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was forced to send\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to the world of the dead and bring Persephone back to her mother. However, as she had eat
en food while in the kingdom of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (a pomegranate seed that her husband had given her on purpose), Persephone was obliged to spend a third of the year in the Underworld, remaining on earth with her mother for
the other two thirds.\par
\par
\cf0 [1008]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who was still anxious to get hold of realms on land, put forward a claim to Attica and, in token of his possession, struck the acropolis of Athens
with his trident, causing a spring of salt water to gush forth. Another version states that Poseidon offered a horse to the city. Whether the gift was a spring or a horse, the goddess\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who also desired religi
ous supremacy over Attica, took possession of the acropolis in a more practical and gentle way: she planted an olive tree next to the spring or, at any rate, brought that beneficial plant into the region. Furious, Poseidon challenged her to a duel and At
hena would undoubtedly have accepted if\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had not intervened and ordered his daughter and brother to submit to a higher judgment. Thus the two adversaries appeared before the divine court, made up of all the gods
of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Though by only one vote, the verdict went in favor of Athena, who from then on made the rock of the Acropolis her seat. The frustrated Poseidon took his revenge by flooding the plain of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [1044]\par
\b \cf7 \par
\b0 After he had imposed his own cult in Thebes, causing the death of his cousin\b \cf4 \ATXht1043 Pentheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 also made an appearance at sea, even though this was the place "where no grapes are harvested." In order to reach\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11403 Naxos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , he set sail on a sturdy Tyrrhenian ship but, as soon as he had come aboard, the sailors se
ized him and attempted to bind him with cords. They thought him to be the son of a king and hoped for a ransom, or otherwise to sell him as a slave in Egypt or on Cyprus. Dionysus let them do as they wished, amused at the way in which the bonds fell to h
is feet without impeding his movements. This made the helmsman realize that they were dealing with no ordinary mortal and recognize him as one of the gods of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . In fact, sweet and scented wine began to flow
over the deck of the ship, and a vine loaded with ripe grapes, ready for harvest, grew over the sail; a sturdy ivy plant wound around the mast and the vessel's oars were transformed into slippery snakes, while the air was filled with the sweet music of
divine flutes. Dionysus turned into a lion that threatened the sailors with powerful roars, and a shaggy bear appeared among the rowers. The maddened pirates leaped into the sea and were changed into dolphins; only the helmsman was saved and enjoyed the
benevolence of the god forever.\par
\par
\cf0 [1015]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 On the very day of his birth,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 freed himself from the bands in which he had been wrapped by the divine\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11301 Ma
ia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and, climbing out of the sieve that served him as a cradle, planned his first exploit: to steal the cattle that his brother\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was tending for King\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10106 Admetus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 of Thessaly. He made off with fifty heifers, making them walk backwards from the pasture (or binding their hooves with twigs of myrtle).\cf0 \cf7 Driving them all night, he took them to \b \ATXht11638 Pylus\b0 \ATXht0 and hid them in a ca
vern. He was seen by the herdsman Bathus, who promised to keep quiet. Hermes turned him into a stone when he discovered his betrayal. At Pylus, the young thief sacrificed two of the finest animals, dividing them into twelve portions to be offered to each
of the twelve gods of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , including himself, and then returned to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10337 Cyllene\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . At the entrance to his cave he came across a turtle and, instinctively, fashioned a music
al instrument out of it: he emptied the shell, attached two canes to it and stretched seven strings made from the guts of the cows over them. And then, having invented the lyre, he got back into his cradle and awaited events.\par
Apollo was not slow in
arriving (he had spoken to Bathus) and complained to Maia about the theft, threatening to hurl the little thief into Tartarus if he did not reveal the hiding place of the loot. She showed him her son, peacefully wrapped up in his cradle: a newborn child,
it was plain to anyone, could not be guilty of stealing cattle. But Apollo did not allow himself to be deceived: he picked up Hermes and carried him to Olympus, where he accused him of the theft in front of his father\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Greatly amused, the god ordered the baby to give back the animals he had stolen, ignoring his repeated denials and terrible tantrums. Peace between Hermes and Apollo was sealed with the gift of the lyre that the new god made to his elder brother.
\par
\par
\cf0 [1033]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The handsome \b \cf4 \ATXht10821 Hyacinth\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had drawn the eyes and the interest of \b \cf4 \ATXht12600 Zephyr\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the west wind, and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,
who both fell in love with him. But Hyacinth preferred Apollo, who deserted\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the oracle for him, arousing the jealousy of the wind god. One day, in the sultry heat of noon, Hyacinth and Apollo str
ipped on the banks of the river Eurota and, their bodies glowing with oil, began to compete in the throwing of iron quoits. The lethal missiles whistled across the grass and embedded themselves in a distant pole. Zephyr, who was watching from a hidden v
antage point, could no longer bear the friendship between the two athletes and caused one of the quoits thrown by Apollo to strike the head of Hyacinth. The young man turned white and fell lifeless to the ground. Apollo sought desperately to bring him ba
ck to life but could do nothing against\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10600 Fate\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , to which even the gods are subject. And so, as a constant reminder of the fair Hyacinth, he caused a purple flower with a lament engraved on its petals to spring from
his blood.\par
\par
\cf0 [1003]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The beautiful Io, princess of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was loved by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who wrapped her in a dense mist so that he could lie with her. T
his did not escape the notice of the suspicious\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who descended from heaven and ordered the mist to recede. Foreseeing the arrival of his wife, however, Zeus had time to change the figure of Io into that of a whi
te heifer. Hera, pretending ignorance, praised the animal's appearance and obliged her husband to make her a gift of it. She then set the hundred-eyed\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10136 Argus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to guard the heifer. But Zeus, who could not bear to se
e Io humiliated in this way, asked Hermes to set her free. Even though the youthful god was the most skillful of thieves, he was forced to put Argus to sleep with the magic sound of his flute before cutting off his head. Hera placed the hundred eyes of A
rgus on the feathers of her sacred bird, the peacock, and then sent a gadfly to torment the heifer Io, forcing her to wander from one region of the world to another in her frenzy. The unhappy creature eventually found rest and relief on the banks of the
Nile, where she was restored to her original form and bore Zeus a son,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10506 Epaphus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The people of Egypt worshipped Io under the name of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10914 Isis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\b \par
\b0 \cf0 [1026]
\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht10917 Ixion\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was the son of the sacrilegious\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11622 Phlegyas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , burner of temples, but proved no less wicked than his father. He began by making his father-in-law fall into a
hidden well filled with burning coals, solely in order to avoid having to present him with wedding gifts. Since the murder of a relation cried out to the gods for vengeance, no one was prepared to purify him of his crime. Only\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was ready to offer him hospitality, carrying him up to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but Ixion, far from showing gratitude, attempted to seduce\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . To see just how far he
would go, the lord of heaven fashioned a cloud in the likeness of Hera. Ixion used violence on the phantom, committing a new and more serious sacrilege, that of ingratitude to a god, and Zeus was forced to punish him.\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 chained him to a fiery wheel that turned unceasingly in the sky; there was no hope of relief as on Olympus Ixion had tasted the ambrosia that rendered the gods immortal. The\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10311 Centaurs\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 were born from t
he union of Ixion with the cloud.\par
\par
\cf0 [1013]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 While\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11610 Peleus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 were celebrating their marriage, to which all the gods
of \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had been invited, \b \cf4 \ATXht10512 Eris\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the goddess of discord, became infuriated at being the only one to have been omitted from the guest list. The revenge that she took was to h
ave devastating consequences for the whole of the Hellenic world. Furtive and cunning, she tossed a golden apple bearing the words "for the fairest" into the middle of the hall, immediately causing an argument.\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 each claimed the precious trifle for herself, but none of the gods wished to take on the dangerous task of deciding which of them deserved it. The quest
ion was difficult, and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , in his wisdom, declared that the choice should be made by a mortal. He ordered\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to accompany the three beauties of Olympus to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10903 Mount Ida\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 in Troas, where\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , still unaware that he was the son of King\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was tending his flocks.\par
On the appearance of the deities, t
he young man was seized with dread, but Hermes, the arch-deceiver, persuaded him that he had nothing to fear: he looked at and listened to the goddesses and awarded the trophy according to his own judgment. In addition to the arguments of their beauty, e
ach of the immortals tempted the young man with seductive promises: Hera offered him sovereignty over the whole of Asia; Athena, wisdom and success on the battlefield; Aphrodite, who knew men, promised him the love of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , considered the most beautiful of mortal women. Without reflecting, Paris handed the apple and the victory to Aphrodite, who assured him of her benevolence. Athena and Hera retired with wounded pride, swearing their undying hatred of the judge
and all his people.\par
\par
\cf0 [1004]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , pretending to be a swan pursued by an eagle, took refuge in the lap of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 on the banks of the river Eurota, n
ear\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11914 Sparta\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and then raped her. In the due course of time, Leda laid an egg the color of hyacinth from which\b \cf4 \ATXht11629 Pollux\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the beautiful\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 were hatched. Since\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12020 Tyndareus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Leda's husband and the king of Sparta, slept with his wife on the same night, she laid another egg from which\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10308 Castor\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10326 Clytemnestra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 were hatched. Some claim that all of Leda's children were of divine origin, while others say that the only progeny of Zeus was Helen. It is also said, moreover, that it was not Leda who laid the egg,
but the goddess\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11405 Nemesis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . According to this version, Nemesis, fleeing from the lust of Zeus, turned herself into a series of different animals until, while flying in the guise of a wild goose, she was triumphantl
y mounted by Zeus.\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 placed the egg laid by Nemesis between the thighs of Leda, who was seated with her legs spread on a stool. Thus, Tindareus' wife, who brooded the egg, was only the nursing mother of th
e fatal Helen.\par
\b \par
\b0 \cf0 [1037]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 One day\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 made herself a double flute from a stag's horn and played it at the banquet of the gods. During the performance she had the distinct impression that\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 were laughing at her behind her back but she did not understand why: the sound of the instrument was harmonious and the concert had pleased everyone. It was only when she caught sigh
t of her reflection in a pool, with her cheeks swollen and her face red with the effort of blowing into the instrument, that she grasped the reason for such hilarity and, in vexation, threw away the flute, adding a curse against anyone who picked it up.
\par
The innocent victim of this curse was the satyr\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11305 Marsyas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who came upon the instrument by chance. As soon as he brought it to his lips, sweet notes came forth that made a great impression on the peasants of P
hrygia, where Marsyas was accompanying the chariot of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10335 Cybele\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . It was they who proclaimed that the divine\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 could do no better with his lyre, but Marsyas was foolish
enough not to contradict them. The god was enraged and challenged the satyr to a musical contest: the winner of the tournament, to be judged by the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11321 Muses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , would be able to subject the loser to whatever treatment
he wished. The result was a tie, but Apollo was not satisfied and told his rival to play the instrument upside down, as was done with the lyre, and to sing at the same time. Naturally poor Marsyas was unable to accept the challenge and was declared the
loser. Apollo, in spite of his vaunted indulgence, hung him from a tree and flayed him alive, suspending his woolly hide at the spring of the river that now bears his name.\par
\par
\cf0 [1042]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 One day, the peasants of Phrygia b
rought a satyr tottering with age and wine, whom they had found sleeping on the bank of a river, to King\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11314 Midas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Midas recognized him as\b \cf4 \ATXht11909 Silenus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , companion and teacher of the
god\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and honored him as such before taking him back to the Bacchic procession from which he had strayed in his drunkenness. The god was pleased by this gesture of kindness and invited the gentle Midas to ch
oose a reward: the king asked that everything he touched should turn to gold. Dionysus agreed, with an enigmatic smile. Midas went away happy, and whenever he brushed against a leafy branch, picked up a stone, or gathered ears of grain, they were transfo
rmed into gold. But when he sat down to eat, the bread, the meat, and even the water mixed with wine that he poured down his throat turned into yellow gold. Midas ran the risk of dying of hunger and thirst and begged Dionysus to rid him of the dangerous
gift. The god relented and sent him to purify himself in a spring, which, from then on, flowed with specks of gold.\par
\par
\cf0 [1035]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht11408 Niobe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , queen of Thebes, was proud of many things, but if sh
e boasted of one it was not her ancestry or her lineage, but the fact of being the mother of many children. She would have been the happiest woman in the world if she had concealed her pride and curbed her tongue. But when the priestess\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11302 Manto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 invited the women of Thebes to offer prayers and incense to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and her divine twins, Niobe recalled her father and grandfather and, above all, compared her host of children to
the mere two that Leto had brought into the world. Leto, who had to endure the persecution of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the affronts of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12015 Tityus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , could not bear another insult: she turned
to her children and demanded vengeance.\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 flew swiftly to Thebes and, while the goddess headed for the palace that had once belonged to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the god climbed\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10325 Mount Cithaeron\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 where Niobe's six sons were out hunting. But, that day it was their destiny to be the prey, and Apollo slew them one by one with his silver bow. Artemis did
the same to the six daughters in the women's quarters of the palace. When she heard of the death of all her children, Niobe stiffened with grief and turned into a rock.\par
\par
\cf0 [1064]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Three times the oracle at\cf4 \b \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had warned\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11203 Laius\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , king of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , not to have children, for he would die at the hands of one of them. So when his\cf4 \b \ATXht11001 Jocas
ta \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 gave birth, it was decided to expose the newborn child on Mount\cf4 \b \ATXht10325 Cithaeron\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , after he had been weakened by piercing his feet with an iron nail. The child was taken in by some shepherds, who gave him
the name\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11503 Oedipus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , or "the swollen footed," and took him as a gift to the king of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10329 Corinth\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who brought him up as his own son. When Oedipus, now grown up, was told that he
was a foundling, he decided to go to Delphi to find out the identity of his true parents from the oracle. But the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11640 Pythia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 spoke to him in words that filled him with horror: he was destined to murder his fathe
r and marry his mother.\par
Still believing that he was the son of the ruler of Corinth, the young man decided never to set foot in that city again and set off for Thebes, but along the way he met Laius, the father whom he had never known. A trivial arg
ument over who had precedence on the narrow road degenerated into a brawl and Oedipus killed Laius; he then forgot all about the incident. As he continued on his way to Thebes, Oedipus freed the region from the affliction of the\cf4 \b \ATXht11915 Sphin
x\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the grateful Thebans made him their king, giving him Laius's widow as his wife, who bore him four children. In this way, with the dreadful crimes of patricide and incest, the prediction of the oracle of Delphi was fulfilled. M
uch later, when the awful truth came to light, Jocasta hanged herself from a beam of the palace and Oedipus put out his eyes with the pin of his mother cum wife.\par
\par
\cf0 [1040]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 By the time he was killed by an arrow loosed
by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , even though she loved him, the hunter\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11508 Orion\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , renowned for his beauty and extraordinary strength, had already suffered his share of misfortunes. One day on the is
land of Chios he fell in love with\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11311 Merope\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but, befuddled by wine, raped her instead of courting her. To efface this dishonor her father blinded him with the help of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Orion appealed to an oracle, who informed him that he could only regain his sight by exposing his eyes to the rising sun in the East. When Orion reached\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11207 Lemnos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the site of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' forge, the god placed his son Cedalion on his shoulders as a guide. Cedalion led him toward the east where the rays of the sun instantly healed his eyes. Orion then went back to his life as a hunter, attracting the attention of Artemis and rous
ing the suspicions of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The god, fearing that his sister's chastity was under threat, challenged her to an archery contest. Cunningly, he suggested a distant point, far out to sea, as a target. Artemis hit it w
ithout difficulty, but the point was actually the head of Orion, who was swimming to meet her. After his death the handsome hunter was given a place in the heavens, where he shines as the constellation that bears his name.\par
\par
\cf0 [1048]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht11509 Orpheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was one of the few mortals to descend alive into the kingdom of the dead and to obtain permission to return to the light of the sun. He was the greatest of bards, musician and poet \i par excellence
\i0 . At the sound of his lyre, given to him by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , wild beasts were tamed and trees and rocks swayed in time to the rhythm. On his return from the expedition of the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht101 Argonauts\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 he settled in Thrace and married the nymph\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10518 Eurydice\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who died shortly afterward from the bite of a serpent. In despair, Orpheus descended into the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12101 Underworld\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to seek his
wife and, with the plaintive notes of his lyre, stopped the wheel of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1026 Ixion\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , assuaged the hunger of \b \cf4 \ATXht12002 Tantalus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and balanced the boulder of \b \cf4 \ATXht11911 Sisyphus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Even the cruel\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and solemn\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 were enchanted by his song and agreed to let him take Eurydice back to the world of the living, on condition that he did
not look back to see his wife. Orpheus accepted this and began to climb back toward the light, keeping his gaze fixed firmly in front of him, but at the very moment of crossing the threshold, doubt and the impatience of his love induced him to look back
just in time to see Eurydice being drawn back into the depths of the Underworld.\par
\par
\cf0 [1014]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 When\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 saw the glimmer of the fire that\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11636 Prometheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had given to men by means of a trick, he was outraged and immediately prepared a calamity for the whole of their race. On his orders,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 made the shape of a girl out of clay and all the gods were summ
oned to give her attributes and qualities.\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 made her dazzlingly beautiful and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 taught her the domestic arts, but\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 plac
ed flattery, untruth, and deception in her heart, all qualities of which he himself was proud. The first woman had been created, and she was ambiguously called\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11605 Pandora\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 or the "All-gifted." After the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10707 Graces\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10820 Horae\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had dressed her sumptuously, Hermes took her to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10508 Epimetheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who, seduced by so much beauty, wished to make her his wife. T
his was a mistake: Prometheus had warned him to reject any gift from Zeus, which would certainly conceal a trap. Pandora had brought a large vase (the incorrectly named "Pandora's Box") with her, and when she opened it, all the evils it contained escaped
and were inflicted on humanity. Only Hope remained at the bottom of the jar, which Pandora managed to close in time by the will of Zeus.\par
\par
\cf0 [1043]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The tragic story of \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Pentheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 beg
an when his cousin\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , having conquered Asia, decided to return to his native\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to establish his cult there. Despite the cautious advice of his grandfather \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the warnings of the soothsayer\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12012 Tiresias\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Pentheus was opposed to the orgiastic rites of the cult, which he considered improper, and treated Dionysus as an impostor and
charlatan. He even tried to put him in chains, but the god freed himself from the bonds and set the royal palace on fire. To put an end to the situation, Pentheus went personally to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10325 Mount Cithaeron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 with the
aim of surprising the women of Thebes who were taking part in the rites, but they caught sight of him hidden among the branches of a pine tree. Seized by the frenzy of the Bacchic ecstasy, they tore him to pieces with their bare hands. The first to atta
ck him was his own mother\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10116 Agave\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who, mistaking him for a mountain lion, tore off his head and bore it back proudly to Thebes, impaled on a thyrsus.\par
\par
\cf0 [1061]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 While\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 was living on Seriphos with his mother Danaδ, the local tyrant Polydectes insisted that he carry out an extraordinary and extremely dangerous exploit: cutting off the head of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , one of the terrible\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10706 Gorgons\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
Guided by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Perseus went to the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10708 Graeae\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and, taking from them the single tooth and one eye that they shared between them, forced them to show him the way to find the nymphs who kept the instruments he needed to succeed in his adventure: the winged sandals, the helmet of \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 that made its wearer invisible, and the \i kibisis\i0 , the magic wallet in which he would carry his trophy. \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 also gave him a sharp sickle of steel and \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 presented him with a polished bronze shield.\par
When the hero came to the place where they lived, the Gorgons with their wings of gold, who could turn anyone who looked them in the face into stone, were sleeping soundly on the ocean shore, in the v
icinity of the Pillars of \b \cf4 \ATXht10812 Hercules\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Perseus, rendered invisible by the helmet of \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , approached Medusa with his winged sandals and, using her reflection in the polished shield to gu
ide his hand, cut off her head with Hermes's sickle, without ever looking at her directly. He put the lethal head in the wallet and fled. On his way back he used the severed head of Medusa to win the hand of\cf4 \b \ATXht1053 Andromeda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and then gave the trophy to the goddess Athene, who set it in the middle of her own shield, or on the armor that protected her.\par
\par
\cf0 [1065]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Until his adolescence\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11600 Phaδthon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was
unaware that he was the son of\cf15 \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the sun god, but when he found out he demanded to be given a sign in recognition of his birth. So he left his native Ethiopia and went to the eastern limits of the Earth,
where the sun rose, and asked to be allowed to drive the chariot of fire for a day. His father was afraid and sought to dissuade him, but in the end, forced to choose between giving in and denying his son, he allowed Phaδthon to take the chariot, a gift
from\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and resigned himself to\cf4 \b \ATXht10600 Fate\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
When the last star left the sky, the young man took the bridle in hand and set off at a gallop with the fiery winged horses tha
t not even \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was capable of controlling. And the feared disaster occurred: the inexpert driver lost control of the horses and, terrified by the height and the sight of the terrible figures of the Zodiac, lost his way a
nd threatened to set fire to heaven and earth.\cf4 \b \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had no choice but to bring him down with a thunderbolt and he fell into the river\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht112 Eridanus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The Heliads, sisters who wept ov
er his loss, were turned into poplars by the god of the river.\par
\par
\cf0 [1046]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht11636 Prometheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was said to have created the first men, molding them out of clay, and he was always their benefactor.
Since\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had refused them the gift of fire, he climbed Mount\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and, with the aid of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , took a glowing spark from the
chariot of the sun god\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . He smuggled this down to earth in the hollow of a stem of wild fennel. Zeus became aware of the theft only when he saw from afar the light of the fire burning among men. Enraged at
being so deceived, he decided to punish both the thief and the recipients. To men he sen\cf0 t \b \cf4 \ATXht1014 Pandora\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the source of all evil. For Prometheus, he devised a suitable punishment, ordering\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to chain him to the summit of Mount Caucasus. Every day, an eagle descended from the sky to feed upon his liver which, being immortal, grew back again every night, rendering the torment interminable. He was released, after many generati
ons, by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who killed the eagle.\par
\par
\cf0 [1030]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 King \b \cf4 \ATXht11637 Pygmalion\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 of Cyprus refused to marry since his heart and his senses had been captur
ed by an ivory statue, as white as snow, representing\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , which was as perfect in its nudity as he imagined the goddess must be. He had carved it himself and the passion that he had infused into it had made th
e material appear almost alive: the hand that caressed it could not tell whether it was ivory or real flesh that lay beneath its fingers. Pygmalion covered the statue with kisses and embraced it with the feeling that his passion was returned. At night he
lay it by his side in the bed and in the daytime he dressed it in clothes and jewelry. Then the time came for the festival of Aphrodite, celebrated with great enthusiasm all over Cyprus. After making the sacrifices required by ritual, Pygmalion approach
ed the altar and, having paid due homage, timidly asked the gods to find a wife for him who would resemble the girl he had carved. He did not dare to say that what he really wanted was the ivory girl herself, but Aphrodite, who was present at her own fes
tival, understood the meaning of his prayer and brought the effigy to life. The creature granted to him by Aphrodite gave birth to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11608 Paphos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [1021]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 When \b \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \ATXht0 discovered that Princess\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11906 Semele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 of Thebes was expecting\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' child she shook with rage and immediately wanted to prevent the birth. Semele had certainly not underg
one a divine marriage, for the lord of the gods had united with her in the guise of a drink, but Hera still demanded her revenge. To show that she was just as capable of playing tricks as her husband, she came down from\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and, assuming the appearance of Semele's own wet nurse, began to instill desires and ambitions in the girl's heart: why did her divine lover not come to her in the same form as he showed himself to Hera? Why could not Semele experien
ce the embrace of a god? Troubled by the urgings of the false wet nurse, the heedless maid got Zeus to promise to satisfy one of her desires. When he found out what it was she wanted, he came to see her in his divine form, clothed in lightning. Semele di
d not survive this sight, but Zeus took up the child,\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , from her womb and concealed him in his thigh, closing it with clasps of silver, until he was ready to be born.\par
\par
\cf0 [1062]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht12002 Tantalus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the wealthy ruler of a small kingdom in Asia Minor, not far from Smyrna, was the favorite of the gods and often invited to their banquets. When it was his turn to hold a feast, he wanted to serve the celesti
als something completely out of the ordinary, and decided that his son\cf4 \b \ATXht11612 Pelops\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 would serve the purpose. His decision was influenced by his desire to put the omniscience of the gods to the test by serving them this
dish.\par
In fact all the Olympians recognized the flesh they were served and refused to eat it, with the exception of \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who, distracted and disturbed by thoughts of the loss of her daughter\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht1009 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , devoured a shoulder before she realized what it was.\par
For this outrageous act Tantalus was cast into\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , condemned to eternal hunger and thirst: immersed up to his neck in wat
er and with a branch laden with fruit hanging just above his head, the water receded when he moved his mouth toward it and the branches rose when he stretched out his hand to pick the fruit. It is from his name that the English word "tantalize" is derive
d. Pelops's body was put back together and restored to life by the gods; as a replacement for the shoulder that had been eaten, he was given one made of ivory.\par
\par
\cf0 [1045]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 It is told that\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10137 Ariadn
e\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had been abandoned by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , perhaps out of calculation and ingratitude though it may have been on the orders of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had seen her and fallen in lov
e. What happened was that Theseus had come to Crete as one of the group of seven young women and seven young men that the city of Athens sent as tribute to\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 every nine years. The youths had to take part in c
ontests with bulls before being sacrificed to the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11317 Minotaur\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and, in exchange for a promise of marriage, let him into the Labyrinth and supplied him with a ball of string that he
unrolled as he made his way toward the monster's cell. After killing it (perhaps by blows of the fist), he was able to retrace the string and find his way out of the Labyrinth. Fleeing with Theseus to escape the anger of Minos, Ariadne woke to find herse
lf alone on the beach o\cf0 f \b \cf4 \ATXht11403 Naxos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 where their ship had made a call. It was here that Dionysus, riding on a chariot drawn by panthers, met her and took her to \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\cf7 \par
\cf0 [1051]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\b \cf4 \ATXht10519 Eurynome\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who brought up\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , at once realized that he was a skilled craftsman,
but\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the mother who had rejected him, was soon to receive a demonstration of his prowess as well. To revenge himself on her, not only for having refused him her affection but, also, for having denied him a bliss
ful existence on Mount\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Hephaestus made a wonderful golden throne. But the throne concealed a trap: anyone who sat on it would be imprisoned by slender but strong chains that no one, apart from their make
r, was capable of breaking. When it was finished he sent it to his mother and, as he had planned, Hera was trapped. With the failure of all attempts to free her, the gods were forced to turn to Hephaestus and sent\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to fetch him. The god of wine had to resort to his favorite weapon to overcome his resistance: he made Hephaestus drunk, set him on an ass, and brought him back to Olympus. Once the fumes of the wine had dispersed, Hephaestus freed his mother and t
ook his place among the other immortals.\par
\par
\cf0 [1001]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 For ten long years the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had been fighting with the new generation of Olympians for power. The conflict took place
in Thessaly where the old gods had their stronghold on Mount Othrys, while \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and the other new gods held\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 : it was a stalemate that proved hard to break, until Zeus desc
ended into the depths of the earth where the\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10806 Hecatoncheires\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 (or Centimanes) had been imprisoned by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and set them free. There were three of these, enormous mons
ters with fifty heads and a hundred arms each. Seizing equally huge boulders in their powerful hands, they hurled them against the Titans, who were crushed. It is told that the outcome of the battle was also decided by the thunderbolts given to Zeus by t
he\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whom he had freed as well. After their defeat the Titans were bound with chains and cast into\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [1049]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 While
the nymph\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10119 Alcippe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was drawing water from the spring of Asclepius in Athens, she was roughly accosted by\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10801 Halirrothius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who, like his father\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseid
on\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was direct when it came to courting women. But the victim's father, the touchy\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was equally arrogant and decided to wipe out the offense with blood. Hallirhothius' body was still warm when P
oseidon arrived brandishing his trident but, since the culprit was an immortal, summoned him before the tribunal of the gods, by which he too had been judged during the \b \cf4 \ATXht1008 dispute with Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 over the possession of A
ttica. The trial was held on the hill in front of the Acropolis in Athens, which was henceforth known as the Areopagus (hill of Ares) and used by the Athenians to judge crimes of a religious nature. The gods acquitted Ares and Poseidon, who had many othe
r children, and chose, for once, to let the matter rest.\par
\par
\cf0 [1050]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 When\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was wandering the earth in the guise of a common mortal in a desperate search for her daughter\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , abducted by \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , she was given hospitality in the royal palace of Eleusis by King \b \cf4 \ATXht10310 Celeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and his wife\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11312 M
etaneira\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . To thank them for their kindness she tried to make the youngest of their children, the infant \b \cf4 \ATXht10405 Demopho÷n\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , immortal and, in order to burn away his mortal parts, secretly placed him in the fire
every night. But the human apprehension of Metaneira brought about the ruin of her son. One night, peeping into the room, Metaneira saw the treatment to which the child was being subjected and, screaming with terror, hurled herself at Demeter. The godde
ss seethed with anger and let the baby be consumed by the flames. To repay the parents for their loss, however, she bestowed her favor on another of their children, \b \cf4 \ATXht12016 Triptolemus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , to whom she gave a stock of seeds and a
chariot drawn by winged dragons. Triptolemus used these gifts to teach humanity how to till fields and reap the benefits of agriculture.\par
\par
\cf0 [1007]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Demeter was roaming in search of her daughter\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had been \b \cf4 \ATXht1009 abducted by Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , when her brother\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 began to pursue her in order to satisfy his lust. But the goddess, tired and disheartene
d after so much wandering and angry with the Olympians who had tacitly assented to her daughter's abduction, had no wish to unite with anyone, least of all a god. In order to be left in peace, she turned herself into a mare and hid herself among the he
rds of King Oncus, the grandson of\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , which were grazing in Arcadia. But Demeter's trick did not deceive Poseidon: the god recognized her and at once turned himself into a stallion to mount her. The outraged g
oddess was overcome with fury, so that in Arcadia she was as one of the Eumenides or Furies (Demeter\cf0 \b \cf4 \ATXht10511 Erinys\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ), until she washed away her anger in the river Ladon. Out of this bestial union came the horse Arion and
a daughter whose name was never pronounced as it formed part of the mysteries linked to the cult of the goddess.\par
\par
\cf0 [201]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Despite the heartfelt protests of \b \cf15 \ATXht11204 Laoco÷n\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and
the unheeded predictions of \b \cf15 \ATXht10306 Cassandra\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the Trojans had brought the trap hidden within the Trojan Horse inside the walls of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and proud \b \cf15 \ATXht10906 Ilium\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was in flames. \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , warned by the shade of \b \cf15 \ATXht10807 Hector\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and protected by his mother \b \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was able to reach safety with his father \b \cf15 \ATXht10126 Anchises\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and son
\b \cf15 \ATXht10138 Ascanius\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , also known as Julus, taking with him the sacred ornaments and the\b \cf15 \ATXht11613 Penates\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The ghost of his wife\b \cf15 \ATXht10331 Creusa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had perished during
the sack of the city, showed him the goal of his exile: the Land of the Sunset, where the tawny Tiber flows.\par
Beneath the peaks of Mount \b \cf15 \ATXht10903 Ida\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 in Phrygia, Aeneas built a fleet of twenty ships, with which he set sai
l from Antandrus along with his people.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [202]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Reaching the Thracian coast, \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 set about founding a city, Aenead, but an ill omen induced him to give up: when he p
icked twigs of myrtle to adorn an altar for a sacrifice to \b \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , they immediately began to bleed. It was the tomb of \b \cf15 \ATXht11630 Polydorus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the yo
ungest of the Trojan princes, murdered out of the greed of the Thracians who were supposed to have raised him far away from the war. There was no alternative but to give the victim his funeral honors and go back to sea.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [203]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Favorable winds took the fleet to the sacred island of \b \cf15 \ATXht10403 Delos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whose people were ruled by \b \cf15 \ATXht10129 Anius\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , priest of \b \cf15 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and old fri
end of \b \cf15 \ATXht10126 Anchises\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The Trojans consulted the oracle of the god about their destination and were told to seek the "ancient mother" where \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and his descendants would reign forev
er. Anchises interpreted this as the island of Crete, the cradle of Helladic civilization, where \b \cf15 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the Great Mother, had brought \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 into the world. So the fleet sailed on throu
gh the islands of the Cyclades and came in sight of the beaches of the ancient \b \cf15 \ATXht10333 Curetes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [204]\par
\b \up2 \cf7 \par
\cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 at once raised the walls of the cit
y that he thought was going to be his new and final home and called it Pergamum after the stronghold of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . His people divided up the fields, built houses, and were happy to return to normal life in a land that app
eared fertile, but this was not the will of \b \cf15 \ATXht10600 Fate\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . A plague destroyed all that had been built with such effort, and the \b \cf15 \ATXht11613 Penates\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 spoke to Aeneas in a dream, telling him that Crete
was not the place meant by the oracle: his people had been assigned the fertile land of Italy, "ancient mother" because it was from there that the Etruscan \b \cf15 \ATXht10401 Dardanus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the ancestor of the Trojans, had come. \b \cf15 \ATXht10126 Anchises\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who remembered the old stories, confirmed the prediction, and the refugees set sail once more.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [205]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 After three days of storm had blown the ships off course, \b \cf15 \ATXht10109 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 landed on the \b \cf15 \ATXht11916 Strophades Islands\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where the \b \cf15 \ATXht10803 Harpies\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had taken refuge after being driven from the house of \b \cf15 \ATXht11621 Phineus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The Trojans had to use their weapons to defend their food from attacks by the foul creatures, and the queen of the Harpies, \b \cf15 \ATXht10309 Celeno\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , to get her revenge, predicted to Aeneas that the Trojans would found a new city in
Italy only after many hardships, when hunger had compelled them to "devour the tables."\par
\par
\cf0 [206]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Having sailed past Zacynthus and avoided the cursed \b \cf15 \ATXht10916 Ithaca\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 (the home of \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the destroyer of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ), \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 came to Actium, where he offered a sacrifice to \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and held games in honor o
f his abandoned homeland. He then consecrated the famous shield of \b \cf15 \ATXht10100 Abanthes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , taken from the\b \ATXht10103 \cf15 Achaeans\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 during the war.\par
\up2 \par
\up0 \cf0 [207]\par
\b \up2 \cf7 \par
\b0 B
eyond the island of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11619 Phaeacians\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 landed at Butrotus, on the coast of Epirus, where he made an astounding discovery: the land was ruled by \b \cf15 \ATXht10809 Helenus
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the son of \b \cf15 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had inherited \b \cf15 \ATXht11639 Pyrrhus\b0 \cf7 '\b \b0 \ATXht0 scepter and wife. That wife was none other than \b \cf15 \ATXht10127 Andromache\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had for
merly been married to the hero \b \cf15 \ATXht10807 Hector\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , taken as a slave by Pyrrhus, and then abandoned for \b \cf15 \ATXht10814 Hermione\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Aeneas was welcomed with full honors in the city, which had been built on the
model of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and asked Helenus, famous for his gifts of prophecy, what perils the refugees would have to face before reaching the end of their journey. Helenus admitted that he was unable to reveal all the secrets
to him as he was prevented from doing so by \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but offered him useful advice.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [208]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Leaving Epirus and crossing the short stretch of sea that separated it from Italy,
the Trojans landed at the extreme tip of the land of the Sallentines, near a large temple dedicated to \b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Their stay was a short one for the whole coast was inhabited by Achaean peoples and the Trojans preferred to
move on quickly: they sailed across the Gulf of Tarentum, rounded the promontory of \b \cf15 \ATXht11200 Lacinium\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and, avoiding the treacherous \b \cf15 \ATXht11903 Charybdis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , arrived in Trinacria (Sicily).\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [209]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 They landed at the foot of \b \cf15 \ATXht10515 Mount Etna\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , said to have crushed the body of \b \cf15 \ATXht10504 Enceladus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . This was the land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10336 Cycl
opes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , visited by \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 not long before. And it was one of that crafty hero's companions, Achaemenides of \b \cf15 \ATXht10916 Ithaca\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who had been abandoned in that region, who told
\b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 of the tragic encounter between the Greeks and\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11631 Polyphemus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . When the now blind monster appeared on the mountainside and descended toward the beach with his flock, fee
ling his way with the uprooted trunk of a pine tree, the Trojans quickly put out to sea, taking Achaemenides with them.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [210]\par
\up2 \cf7 \par
Sailing along the coast of \b \cf15 \ATXht11511 Ortygia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where \b \cf15 \ATXht10122 Alpheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was finally reunited with his beloved \b \cf15 \ATXht10132 Arethusa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the Trojan ships reached Pachynus, the southernmost point of Trinacria, and, bypassing the Greek cities of Camarina, Gela, Acragas
(Agrigento), and Selinus, came to the coast of Lilybaeum (Marsala) and landed at the port of Drepanum (Trapani). Here, worn out by seven years of hardship, the aging \b \cf15 \ATXht10126 Anchises\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 met his death: neither \b \cf15 \ATXht10309 Celeno\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10803 Harpies\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 nor the seer \b \cf15 \ATXht10809 Helenus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had foreseen his end.
\fs20 \up2 \cf7 As soon as the Trojans resumed their voyage, \b \cf15 \ATXht11002 Juno\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , seeing
them enter the Tyrrhenian Sea and approach the land that had been destined for them, grew angry. \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 's consort then asked \b \cf15 \ATXht10113 Aeolus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to unleash his strongest winds. At once, the fleet
was struck by a storm, and many ships were lost before the storm was calmed by \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , irritated with the meddling of Aeolus who had disturbed the sea without his permission. The survivors of the storm landed on the co
ast of Libya, where they received a welcome at the new city of \b \cf15 \ATXht10305 Carthage\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , founded by the Phoenician Queen \b \cf15 \ATXht10407 Dido\b0 \ATXht0 .\cf7 \b \cf15 \ATXht12200 Venus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 sent \b \cf15 \ATXht10513 Eros\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to her in the guise of \b \cf15 \ATXht10138 Ascanius\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , making her fall in love with \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 so that she would not harass him at the instigation of \b \cf15 \ATXht11002 Juno
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\up0 \par
\cf0 [212]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 So \b \cf15 \ATXht10407 Dido\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was caught in the web that \b \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had woven for her, urged on by her sister \b \cf15 \ATXht10130
Anna Perenna\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The news of her union with \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 spread through all the cities of the coast and reached the ears of \b \cf15 \ATXht10900 Iarbas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , son of \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and king of the Getulians, who had been seeking the hand of Dido for some time. Iarbas asked his father to intervene and the latter, using \b \cf15 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 as a messenger, peremptorily ordered Aeneas back to sea so that his
destiny might be fulfilled. Thus, after a year's stay in Carthage, Aeneas was obliged to resume his voyage. As the ships left the harbor, the abandoned Dido impaled herself on a sword on the funeral pyre that she had prepared for herself.\par
\fs24
\up0 \cf0 \par
\fs20 [213]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 When \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' ships were already far from the coast, a sudden storm forced them to land in Sicily again, where they were welcomed by \b \cf15 \ATXht10102 Acestes
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , king of nearby Eryx. Solemn games were held in memory of \b \cf15 \ATXht10126 Anchises\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but after the contests, the Trojan women, provoked by\cf15 \b \ATXht10913 Iris\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 on behalf of \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , set fire to the fleet because they were tired of roaming the seas. \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was able to limit the damage and Aeneas only lost four ships, but founded the city \b \cf15 \ATXht11904 Segesta\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 f
or those who did not wish to continue the voyage. Nine days later the Trojans set sail again.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [214]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \up2 \cf15 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 persuaded \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to allow the
Trojans to bring their voyage to a peaceful close, but, in exchange, one of them had to be sacrificed. Fate chose the pilot\b \ATXht11600 \cf15 Palinurus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who, yielding to \b \cf15 \ATXht11913 Sopore\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the god of sleep,
off the coast of Campania, vanished into the sea. But the fleet went on safely, passing the rocks once inhabited by the \b \cf15 \ATXht409 Sirens\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and came to the shore of Cumae, dominated by the magnificent temple of \b \cf15 \ATXht9 Ap
ollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , in whose recesses was hidden the cave of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11907 Sibyl\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Interrogated by \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , she told him of the grave dangers and battles that he would have to face in Lat
ium before final victory.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [215]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Before resuming his voyage\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 held a funeral for \b \cf15 \ATXht11318 Misenus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and then descended into the ki
ngdom of the dead from Lake \b \cf15 \ATXht10145 Avernus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to meet the shade of his father in the \b \cf15 \ATXht10503 Elysian Fields\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Back among the living, Aeneas turned his ships north and sailed to a harbor that he gav
e the name Gaeta, in honor of his own wet nurse, Caeta, whom he buried on that beach.\par
\par
\cf0 [216]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The ships then rounded the promontory on which\b \ATXht10324 \cf15 Circe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 made her home, which \b \cf15 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 decided prudently to avoid. Not far off, the waters of the tawny Tiber flowed into the sea, and it was on the banks of this river that the Trojans landed. When, to refresh themselves, they spread wild fruit on flat loaves
of wheat and bit into them voraciously, they realized that they were "devouring the tables" just as the \b \cf15 \ATXht10803 Harpies\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had predicted, and understood that they had reached the end of their long journey. Solemn confirmation
was provided by the roll of \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' thunder.\par
\par
\cf0 [101]\par
\b \cf7 I\par
\b0 A large number of heroes, all young men of divine descent, had gathered at the port of\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10911 Iolcus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 in Thessaly to take part in \b \cf15 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 's expedition. The first to arrive was\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht11509 Orpheus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 who assumed the role of marking time for the rowers with his singing. He was followed by,
among others,\b \cf0 \ATXht11610 \cf15 Peleus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ,\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and the divine twins\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10308 Castor\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and\b \ATXht11629 \cf15 Pollux\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The ship
was built by\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht10136 Argus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , from whom it took its name, but the instructions as to how it should be built came from the goddess\cf15 \b \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . A roll of thunder from a clear sky, a sure sign o
f divine approval for the venture, gave the signal for departure to the fifty-three heroes who represented the whole of Greece.\par
\par
\cf0 [102]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 After a few days of sailing, mostly along the coast, the heroes came to\b \cf0 \ATXht11207 \cf15 Lemnos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where Queen \b \cf15 \ATXht10825 Hypsipyle\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 reigned over a strictly female population. A year previously, all the men of the island had been killed as punishment for their continual unfaithfu
lness. The Argonauts settled happily on the island, and Hypsipyle offered Jason her love and throne. But \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 reminded them of their task and persuaded them to return to sea.\par
\par
\cf0 [103]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The ship sailed swiftly on to \b \cf15 \ATXht11901 Samothrace\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10300 Cabiri\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and, rounding the Chersonesus, arrived at the mouth of the Hellespont. Beyond the straits, in the Propontid Sea rose
the Island of the Bears, linked to Phrygia by no more than a narrow wooded isthmus. Here, the Argonauts received a warm welcome from \b \cf15 \ATXht10341 Cyzicus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the young King of the Dolyones, but as soon as they set sail again, a tre
acherous current brought them back to the other side of the isthmus. They landed in the dark and no one realized that it was the same island; nor did the Dolyones recognize the Argonauts and, fearing a trap, took up arms and gave battle. The hospitable K
ing Cyzicus died at Jason's own hand.\par
\par
\cf0 [104]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 After a contest of endurance at the oars, the Argonauts reached Cius, in Mysia, in a state of exhaustion. Here the hero \b \cf15 \ATXht10823 Hylas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whom
\b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 loved, was carried off by the \b \cf15 \ATXht11400 Naiads\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , charmed by his beauty. After searching for him in vain, the Argonauts resumed their voyage, but Heracles stayed behind to look for
his companion. This was all according to the design of \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who wished the hero to interrupt his journey and go on to other labors before being accepted among the immortals on Mount \b \cf15 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [105]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The Argonauts next came to Bithynia, the land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10202 Bebryces\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ruled by the arrogant \b \cf15 \ATXht10125 Amycus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Any stranger who landed on thos
e coasts was not allowed to go back to sea until he had had a wrestling match with the king. \b \cf15 \ATXht11629 Pollux\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 accepted the challenge in the name of all the heroes. Amycus, defeated, was tied to a tree and killed.\par
\par
\cf0 [106]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 In Thrace, Jason and two of his companions, \b \cf15 \ATXht10302 Calais\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht12601 Zetes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , freed the blind soothsayer King \b \cf15 \ATXht11621 Phineus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 from p
ersecution by the Harpies, who at every meal snatched the food from his mouth and soiled the table with their excrement. It was \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who had sent the Harpies to torment Phineus because the soothsayer had dared to reveal
the sacred thoughts of the lord of \b \cf15 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to mortals.\par
\par
\cf0 [107]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 At the mouth of the Euxine Sea, the Argonauts heard the thunder of the Cyanean Rocks, also known as the \b \cf15 \ATXht11918 Symplegades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Having no roots, these free-floating islands ceaselessly crashed together, making the passage of ships impossible. The hand of \b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 gave the \i Argo\i0 the push it needed to
pass through the strait, and from that time on, in amazement, the Cyanean Rocks stopped their deadly movement.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [108]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Sailing within sight of the southern coast of the Pontus Euxinus or Euxine Sea, the Argonau
ts came first to the island of Thynia, where they saw\b \ATXht9 \cf15 Apollo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 pass by on his way to the land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10824 Hyperboreans\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Then, having rounded Cape Acherusia, where Hydmon died on the tusks
of a wild boar, they came within sight of the tomb of Stenelus, the hero who had fought alongside \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 against the\b \ATXht10124 \cf15 Amazons\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Stenelus rose from his grave as the Argonauts pass
ed, and \b \cf15 \ATXht11509 Orpheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 consecrated his lyre in honor to him. That place was known as Lyra from that time on. They then sailed beyond the river Halis and landed at \b \cf15 \ATXht12008 Themiscyra\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 where thei
r stay was brief. The danger of a clash with the Amazons loomed, and, beyond the land of the Moschynecians (who did in public what all other people do in private), the Island of \b \cf15 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was already in sight.\par
\up2
\par
\up0 \cf0 [109]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The evil birds that \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had driven away from \b \cf15 \ATXht306 Lake Stymphalus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had taken refuge on the island. The Argonauts were met by a hail of feat
hers, as sharp as darts, and had to defend themselves with their helmets and shields when landing. The sons of Phrixus, the young Greek who had brought the \b \cf15 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to \b \cf15 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , had also been shipwrecked on the island. Setting sail again and now within sight of their goal, the Argonauts saw the eagle of \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 high above their ship and, shortly afterward, heard the cries of \b \cf15 \ATXht11636
Prometheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 as the eagle devoured his liver. Later, the donor of fire would be freed from his torment by Heracles.\par
\par
\cf0 [110]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 At last the \b \cf15 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 reached the city
of Aea in Colchis, ruled by \b \cf15 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the custodian of the celebrated fleece. Along with the king, they were greeted by his children \b \cf15 \ATXht10101 Absyrtus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , called "the brilliant," and\b \ATXht11306 \cf15 Medea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 the sorceress, a favorite of \b \cf15 \ATXht10805 Hecate\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . \b \cf15 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , with the aid of a divine philter given to him by Medea, overcame the terrible trials to which Aeδtes
subjected him. First, he yoked the fire-breathing bulls of \b \cf15 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and then used them to plow four large plots of land. He sowed the furrows with dragon's teeth form which sprang armed men. The hero mowed them down w
ith his sword like a reaper at harvest time. The slaughter over, Jason swore on the gods to honor Medea as his wife and, having taken the precious fleece from the dragon that guarded it, fled with her to the ship that had already hoisted its sails.\par
\cf0 \par
[111]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf15 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 's treachery enraged \b \cf15 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who sent his son \b \cf15 \ATXht10101 Absyrtus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 with many ships to block the straits, but the
fugitives, having reached \b \cf15 \ATXht12008 Themiscyra\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , turned toward the western coast of the Pontus, sailing to the broad delta of the river Istrus. Absyrtus guessed their intentions and entered the river before \b \cf15 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 's ship arrived. He sailed up the river, unaware that the \b \i \cf15 \ATXht10133 Argo\b0 \i0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was behind him rather than ahead. No one in those lands had ever seen a ship before, nor did they know the use of the oar: th
e inhabitants were Scythians, Getae, Thracians, Malvensians, and other barbarian people. They mounted the river until they came to the place where it flowed into the Chronius Sea, along whose coasts were strung the Brygian Isles, sacred to \b \cf15 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [112]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 It was in the temple of \b \cf15 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 that \b \cf15 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 set a trap for her brother \b \cf15 \ATXht10101 Absyrtus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whom \b \cf15 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 killed by a ruse. For this reason, \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , when the \b \i \cf15 \ATXht10133 Argo\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 \i0 began to descend toward the Ionian Sea, did not allow it to pa
ss beyond the sanctuary at \b \cf15 \ATXht10411 Dodona\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 : Jason and Medea first had to be purified by the sorceress \b \cf15 \ATXht10324 Circe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , whom they could reach at her home in the Tyrrhenian Sea by sailing along the c
ourse of the Eridanus. So, the \i Argo\i0 entered the river, shrouded in the mists caused by the tragic end of \b \cf15 \ATXht11620 Phaeton\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and followed it until its waters tumbled into the Rhone, which flowed rapidly into the Ausonian
Sea. Nearby those places passed the road known as the Heraclean Way, as it was the route \b \cf15 \ATXht310 Heracles\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had taken on his return from the edges of the world with the cattle he had stolen from the monster \b \cf15 \ATXht10702 Geryon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [114]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The ship \b \i \cf15 \ATXht10133 Argo\b0 \i0 \cf7 \ATXht0 set sail again and, avoiding the \b \cf15 \ATXht11910 Sirens\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 from whose song \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had escaped , overcame the peril of \b \cf15 \ATXht11903 Scylla and Charybdis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 with the help of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . At Hera's bidding the ship was steered by \b \cf15 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , visible only to her husband \b \cf15 \ATXht11610 Peleus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who remained bent over his oar.\par
\par
\cf0 [115]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The ship now plowed through calm waters. The Argonauts soon reached Drepane, the beautiful is
land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11619 Phaeacians\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , ruled by \b \cf15 \ATXht10118 Alcinous\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and his wife Arete. Here, \b \cf15 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 celebrated their w
edding and laid on a nuptial bed covered with the \b \cf15 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [116]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 Unlike the journey of \b \cf15 \ATXht413 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , however, the island of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11619 Phaeacians\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was not the last stop on the voyage of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . In sight of the Greek coast, a storm from \b \cf15 \ATXht10205 Boreas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 drove them toward the sea of Libya, to
the marshy Syrtis covered with seaweed that prevented them from sailing further. At the command of \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the monster \b \cf15 \ATXht12017 Triton\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 came to the aid of the Argonauts, setting them back on
course for Crete.\par
\par
\cf0 [117]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf15 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 thought he would find a hospitable land there but, at the bidding of \b \cf15 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the man of brass, \b \cf15 \ATXht12001 Talus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , prevented ships from landing by hurling great rocks at them. Once again the situation was resolved by \b \cf15 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 's magical powers, and the adventure was now near a happy ending. With the assistan
ce of\b \ATXht11624 \cf15 Phoebus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who dispersed the great pall of darkness that emerged from deep recesses, the \b \i \cf15 \ATXht10133 Argo\b0 \i0 \cf7 \ATXht0 finally entered the familiar waters that separated Attica from Euboea: th
e port of \b \cf15 \ATXht10911 Iolcus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was in sight.\par
\par
\cf0 [401]\par
\cf7 \par
\b \up2 \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 set sail from the shores of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , heading for \b \cf15 \ATXht10916 Ithaca\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 with twelve ships and 500 companions who had survived the war. The enemy city had been burned to the ground thanks to the trick of the wooden horse that he had devised. This was how the hero's adventurous voyage through the
Mediterranean began.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [402]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Sailing along the coast, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' fleet reached Thrace, in the land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10322 Cicones\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , old allies of th
e Trojans. Ulysses sacked their capital Ismarus, but the arrival of other enemies forced him to take flight after loosing seventy-two of his companions.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [403]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Doubling Cape Malea, in the Peloponnesus, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' ships were caught by the winds of\cf15 \b \ATXht10205 Boreas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 from the north that drove them past \b \cf15 \ATXht10340 Cythera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . For nine days they were in the grip of the storm a
nd on the tenth made the coast of Africa, landing in the country of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11210 Lotus-eaters\b0 \ATXht0 .\cf7 A very sweet fruit, the lotus made them forget their sorrows and pains, but it also banished all thought of their native land from
their minds, along with all desire to return to it. Two of his companions who tasted the fruit had to be brought back to the ships by force.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [404]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Heading back to the north, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses
\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' ships reached the land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , monstrous giants with a single eye in the middle of their foreheads. Leaving the fleet in a safe harbor on the nearby Island of Goats, Ulysses set off with a
ship and twelve men for the cave of \b \cf15 \ATXht11631 Polyphemus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the son of \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who devoured six of his companions. After befuddling the Cyclops with wine, the hero blinded him with a sharpened
and heated olive stake and escaped from the cave by binding himself and his companions underneath the bellies of rams in the giant's flock of sheep.\par
\up0 \par
\cf0 [405]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \up2 \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 came ne
xt to the island of Aeolia, the home of \b \cf15 \ATXht10113 Aeolus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , lord of the winds, who gave him a leather bag in which all the winds that might hinder his voyage back to \b \cf15 \ATXht10916 Ithaca\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 were impriso
ned. Driven by the favorable breeze of \b \cf15 \ATXht12600 Zephyr\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , from the west, the ships came within sight of their homeland. But his companions, curious about the contents of the leather bag, opened it, causing a terrible tempest th
at drove them back to the kingdom of Aeolus. The god of the winds, offended, chased them away.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [406]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 After six days and six nights of navigation the fleet landed in the inhospitable land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11202 Laestrygonians\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , cruel giants who ate human flesh. Eleven of the twelve ships were sunk with all their crew and only \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' vessel managed to row to safety.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [407]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Sailing onward with a broken heart, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 reached the island of \b \cf15 \ATXht10109 Aeaea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the home of \b \cf15 \ATXht113 Circe\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , a sorceress whose habit it w
as to turn all those who came to visit her into animals. Several of his companions were turned into pigs, but Ulysses, with the aid of \b \cf15 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \ATXht0 ,\cf7 broke the enchantment and made the sorceress submit. He remained as a guest
in her palace for a year. Before going back to sea and on Circe's advice, the hero decided to descend into \b \cf15 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the subterranean world of the dead, in order to question the shade of the prophet \b \cf15 \ATXht12012 Teiresias\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 about the fate of his voyage.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [408]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Teiresias revealed to \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 that \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , enraged at what had happe
ned to his son \b \cf15 \ATXht11631 Polyphemus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , was hindering his return to Ithaca. And yet, it was still possible for them to reach their home if, when they came to Thrinacie, his companions did not touch the sacred cattle of the \b
\up0 \cf15 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \up2 \cf7 \ATXht0 . If they were harmed, however, the hero would not see his native land for a long time and would arrive there alone, upon a foreign ship.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [409]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Resuming his
voyage, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 managed to avoid the seduction of the magical song of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11910 Sirens\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , though without renouncing the opportunity to hear the sound of their voices. He plugged his com
panions' ears with wax and had himself bound to the ship's mast so that he could not yield to the desire to join the Sirens.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [410]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 To avoid the Wandering Rocks, cliffs that crashed together and crushed sh
ips passing between them, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' ship headed for the caves of \b \cf15 \ATXht11903 Scylla and Charybdis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , which faced the sea. Slipping by the dreadful Charybdis, the hero also escaped Scylla, but s
ix of his companions were snatched from the deck by the monster and devoured.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [411]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 After their terrible experience with the monsters of the straits, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and his
companions landed on Thrinacie, the large island where the heifers of the Sun-god (\b \up0 \cf15 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ) \up2 grazed. For a whole month the breath of \b \cf15 \ATXht11409 Notus\b0 \ATXht0 ,\cf7 the south wind, prevented the
ship from setting sail again and, in spite of Ulysses' heartfelt warnings, the sailors, wracked with hunger, killed the finest of the cows and aroused the anger of the Sun-god. Threatening to rise no longer to illuminate the earth and the sky, the enrag
ed god obtained the promise of a prompt revenge from the immortals: when a favorable wind at last permitted the ship to leave Thrinacie, \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 sent a terrible storm that destroyed the ship and swept all of Ulysses' crew i
nto the sea.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [412]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Clinging to the ship's shattered mast, \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the only survivor of the shipwreck, was swept back toward Charybdis. He then drifted for nine days
at the mercy of the currents until, on the tenth night, he was washed ashore on the remote Isle of \b \cf15 \ATXht11504 Ogygia\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , home of the nymph\b \cf15 \ATXht10304 Calypso\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The divine maiden kept the hero at her side,
but after seven years was forced to submit to the will of the gods and allow Ulysses to resume his voyage so that his destiny could be fulfilled.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [413]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \up2 \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 then saile
d for seventeen days on a raft built with the aid of \b \cf15 \ATXht10304 Calypso\cf4 \ATXht0 \b0 \cf7 and had come within sight of the island of the \b \cf15 \ATXht11619 Phaeacians\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 when \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 unleas
hed a violent tempest against him. The raft was smashed to pieces but the hero, thanks to the intervention of the sea goddess \b \cf15 \ATXht10908 Ino\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , reached land and was led by the lovely \b \cf15 \ATXht11402 Nausicaa\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 to the court of her father \b \cf15 \ATXht10118 Alcinous\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 . Here, Ulysses told the story of his wanderings and was given a ship that took him back to his homeland.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [414]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \up2 \cf7 Disguised as a begg
ar \b \cf15 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 at last came to the royal palace of Ithaca where, with the help of his son \b \cf15 \ATXht12005 Telemachus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , he took on and killed the young suitors of his wife \b \cf15 \ATXht11615 Penelop
e\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 who had moved into his home. After ten years of war beneath the walls of \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and ten years of roaming the treacherous seas, Ulysses' adventure came to an end.\par
\par
\up0 \cf0 [301]\par
\f0
\par
\f1 \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had been ordered by \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to free the valley of \b \cf15 \ATXht11404 Nemea\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 from a monstrous lion, the offspring of \b \cf15 \ATXht12021 Ty
phon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht10500 Echidna\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . After trying in vain to kill it with his club and arrows, the hero managed to overcome the beast by strangling it with his bare hands. He then took the carcass on his back and retur
ned to \b \cf15 \ATXht12013 Tiryns\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . According to one tradition, the lion skin that is one of Heracles' constant attributes is in fact that of the Nemean lion.\par
\par
\cf0 [302]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 A hydra with nine heads, one of
which--he central one--was immortal, was laying waste to the region of \b \cf15 \ATXht11208 Lerna\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The monster was another of the offspring of \b \cf15 \ATXht12021 Typhon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht10500 Echidna\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0
and had been raised by \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 precisely to serve as a test for \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The hero attacked it with his club, but every time he managed to strike off a head, two more grew in its place
. In the end, Heracles was able to get the better of the hydra, with the help of his faithful nephew \b \cf15 \ATXht10910 Iolaus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , by burning each head that he struck off and burying the immortal one under a rock. Dipping the heads of his
arrows in the monster's bile, he made them deadly.\par
\par
\cf0 [303]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 On Mount Ceryneia, in the region of Arcadia, lived a hind with horns of gold and hooves of bronze that was consecrated to \b \cf15 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 did not want to kill her and chased her for a whole year, but was then forced to kill her. When Artemis appeared before him to ask why he had performed such a sacrilege, Heracles managed to calm her
by shifting the responsibility for the hunt onto \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [304]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 On Mount \b \cf15 \ATXht10514 Erymanthus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 there was a terrible wild boar that \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ordered \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to bring back to \b \cf15 \ATXht12013 Tiryns\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 alive. First, the hero drove the beast into the open with his loud cries, and then pushed it into the thi
ck snow that covered the land. In this way, he was able to tire it out and capture it with his nets. When Heracles dumped the wild boar in front of Eurystheus' palace, the cowardly king was so terrified that he ran away and hid in a jar, which he had prepared as a refuge in case of danger.\par
\par
\cf0 [305]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The stables of \b \cf15 \ATXht10144 Augeas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , King of Elis, housed three thousand head of cattle and had not been cleaned for thirty years. \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 commanded \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to clean them in a single day. Without mentioning the order, Heracles offered to Augeias to carry out the thankless task in exchange for the tenth part of the herd. He then altered the course of the rivers \b \cf15 \ATXht10122 Alpheus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and \b \cf15 \ATXht11614 Peneius\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and made them pass through the stables, washing them rapidly. But when Augeias learned that Heracles had done the job on the orders of Eurystheus, he refused to give h
im the cattle he had promised. Later, the hero would take his revenge by invading Elis.\par
\par
\cf0 [306]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf15 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had raised a flock of birds that had claws, wings, and beaks of bronze, feathers fire
d like arrows, and fed on human flesh. They lived on the shores of the marshes near the city of \b \cf15 \ATXht11917 Stymphalus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was ordered by \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to drive them away. He was aided in this task by \b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athene\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who gave him brazen cymbals that the hero used to make the birds take flight, killing them with his arrows. The ones that escaped him flew toward Pontus, and foun
d refuge on the \b \cf15 \ATXht109 island of Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [307]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 The bull had emerged from the sea on the shore of Crete the day on which \b \cf15 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had promised a sacrific
e to \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Captivated by the animal's beauty, the king decided to keep it, sacrificing a bull of lesser value to the god. Enraged at this affront, Poseidon drove the bull mad. In the grip of its fury, the animal caus
ed immense damage. \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was ordered to capture the bull, and this he did, swimming back to Greece with it or, perhaps, riding on its back as \b \cf15 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had done. \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 wanted to consecrate it to \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but the goddess would not accept a gift that came from the hands of Heracles and the beast was set free. We come across it again in the region of Marathon i
n the legends connected with \b \cf15 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [308]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf15 \ATXht10408 Diomedes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the son of \b \cf15 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and Pelopeia, was the ruler of the Bist
ones, a people who lived in Thrace. He possessed four mares that he fed on human flesh, but \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , on \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 ' orders, succeeded in capturing them. Taking them to the seash
ore, he was surrounded by the Bistones. While engaged in battle, he entrusted the mares to his friend Abderus, whom they dragged away and tore to pieces. Heracles defeated the Bistones and killed Diomedes. He fed Diomedes' body to the mares, which immedi
ately grew docile. When he took them to \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the king set them free and they were later devoured by the wild beasts of \b \cf15 \ATXht11507 Mount Olympus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [309]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \b \cf15 \ATXht10819 Hippolyta\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Queen of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10124 Amazons\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , had been given a girdle by \b \cf15 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 that Admete, daughter of \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , de
sired above any other object. \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was, therefore, ordered to retrieve it. At first, he was given a warm welcome by the queen in \b \cf15 \ATXht108 Themiscyra\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , but \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 turned the Amazons against him and a battle commenced. Heracles killed Hippolyta and seized the girdle. On his way back, he landed in Troad, where he rescued \b \cf15 \ATXht10816 Hesione\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 from a monster that \b \cf15 \ATXht5 Poseido
n\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had sent to kill her. In exchange for his aid, Hesione's father\cf15 \b \ATXht11205 Laomedon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had promised Heracles the horses that he had been given by Zeus to compensate him for the loss of \b \cf15 \ATXht10701 Ganym
ede\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Since he failed to keep this promise, Heracles swore, as he left Troad, that he would wage war on \b \cf15 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , which he later did.\par
\par
\cf0 [310]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 On the far-off island of
Erythaea or Erythaea the Red, so-called because it was located where the sun sets, \b \cf15 \ATXht10702 Geryon\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 kept his immense herds of oxen. \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 commanded \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to bring them to him. To reach the western limits of the world the hero journeyed along the coast of Libya but, troubled by the fierce heat of the desert, threatened to shoot \b \cf15 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 if he did not lend him
the golden cup in which the sun god set sail every evening when he reached the \b \cf15 \ATXht11501 Ocean\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . In memory of his passage, he erected a pillar on each side of the straits that separate Libya from Europe, the \b \cf15 \ATXht11625 Pillars\cf0 \cf15 of Hercules\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . On reaching Eritea, he killed Geryon and the two guards of the oxen, a \b \cf15 \ATXht10703 Giant\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and the dog \b \cf15 \ATXht11510 Orthrus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Heracles returned to Greece by
the \b \cf15 \ATXht112 northern route\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , following the coasts of Spain, and then passing through Gaul, Italy, Illyria, and Thrace. At the end of the journey he handed over what was left of the animals to Eurystheus, who sacrificed them to
\b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\cf0 [311]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 At her divine marriage with \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 had been given some golden apples by \b \cf15 \ATXht10700 Gae
a\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , which she then entrusted to the \b \cf15 \ATXht10817 Hesperides\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , in the unknown land of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10824 Hyperboreans\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . Since \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 wanted them, \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 set off to the north, passing through Macedonia and Illyria until he reached the banks of the \b \cf15 \ATXht10510 Eridanus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , where the nymphs of the river revealed to him that only \b \cf15 \ATXht11407 Nereus\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 could tell him where the golden apples were located. Nereus had the power to assume all sorts of shapes and tried to elude him by doing so, but Heracles surprised him in his sleep and kept him bound until he gave him the inform
ation he needed. He then went to Mount Atlas and here, after fighting and defeating the monster \b \cf15 \ATXht12017 Triton\b0 \ATXht0 \cf7 and the dragon\cf15 \b \ATXht11201 Ladon\b0 \ATXht0 ,\cf7 asked \b \cf15 \ATXht10143 Atlas\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 to
pick the apples for him, offering to hold up the vault of heaven for him. The Titan returned with the golden apples, but refused to reassume his burden. Heracles then asked him to hold up the sky for a moment while he placed a cushion on his shoulders, a
nd as soon as he was free seized the apples and fled. When Eurystheus was given the golden apples he offered them to\b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athene\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who put them back in their place.\par
\par
\cf0 [312]\par
\f0 \par
\f1 \cf7 n a last, despe
rate attempt to get the better of \b \cf15 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , \b \cf15 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 demanded that he capture \b \cf15 \ATXht10315 Cerberus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . To perform this task, the hero had to descend into
\b \cf15 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 with the help of \b \cf15 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 and \b \cf15 \ATXht6 Athene\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . After being initiated into the mysteries at \b \cf15 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , Heracles took
the way leading down from Cape \b \cf15 \ATXht12000 Taenarum\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , in Laconia, and, reaching the \b \cf15 \ATXht12101 Underworld\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , freed\cf15 \b \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , who had had the temerity to try and abduc
t \b \cf15 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . \b \cf15 \ATXht11627 Pluto\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 gave him permission to carry off Cerberus on the condition that he overcome him without using weapons. So Heracles seized Cerberus by the neck and maintained
his grip despite the wounds inflicted on him by the dog's tail, which ended in a sting like that of a scorpion. He took the monster back to the surface, emerging from the Mouth of Hell situated at \b \cf15 \ATXht12018 Troezen\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , in Argolis
. But when Eurystheus saw the infernal beast, he hid in his jar again, just as he had done when presented with the wild boar of Erymanthus. Heracles, not knowing what to do with Cerberus, took the dog back to his master.
\b0 Twelfth king of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht11635 P
roetus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He possessed a shield, given to him by \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , that had the power of reducing a rebellious people to submission and obedience. The shield came into the hands of \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who, on his voyage to Italy, offered it to the temple of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 at \b \cf4 \ATXht206 Actium\cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\b0 [10101]\par
\b \par
Absyrtus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , kin
g of \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When the latter fled from her land with the Argonauts, who had seized the Golden Fleece, Absyrtus was sent in her pursuit and was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 through a ruse.\par
\par
[10102]\par
\par
\b Acestes\par
\b0 King of the city of Eryx, he claimed Trojan descent through his mother Acesta. It was in her honor that \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 gav
e the name \b \cf4 \ATXht11904 Segesta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to the city he founded in \b \cf4 \ATXht213 Sicily\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10103]\par
\par
\b Achaeans\par
\b0 The name that Homer used, in general, for all the Greeks. Properly speaking, i
t referred to the people that occupied almost all of the Peloponnesus (Achaea) with the exception of Arcadia.\par
\par
[10104]\par
\par
\b Achilles\par
\b0 Son of the mortal \b \cf4 \ATXht11610 Peleus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was educated by the centaur \b \cf4 \ATXht10320 Chiron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Fate allowed him to choose between a long, but insignificant life or a glorious, but short one. Achilles chose the second alternative and met his deat
h beneath the walls of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Some later traditions tell of his mother's attempt to render him immortal; as a child, Achilles was dipped in the waters of the Styx, a river in the \b \cf4 \ATXht12101 Underworld\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but the heel by which Thetis held him during the immersion was not touched by the miraculous water. It was in his heel that he received a mortal wound from the arrow shot by \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (or by the god \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ).\par
\par
[10105]\par
\par
\b Actaeon\par
\b0 Son of Aristaeus and Autonoδ. Trained in the art of the chase by the centaur \b \cf4 \ATXht10320 Chiron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , while out hunting one day he surprised the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 bathing naked in a fountain. For this she changed him into a stag and he was torn to pieces by his own pack of dogs.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1038 The Myth of Actaeon\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10106]\par
\par
\b Admetus\par
\b0 King of Pherae, in Thessaly, the god \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 served him for nine years. Admetus treated him with respect and kindness and the god rewarded him with a privileged destiny; he would be freed from death o
n condition that his father, mother, or wife were willing to die in his stead. His wife Alcestis agreed to make the sacrifice and was brought back to the world of the living by Heracles.\par
\par
[10107]\par
\par
\b Adonis\par
\b0 The incestuous son
of Cinyras and \b \cf4 \ATXht11912 Smyrna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , or Myrrha. His beauty led to a dispute between \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\ATXht1031 \b0 \cf0 and\b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\ATXht1031 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and it was necessary for \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to make a judgment about which of the two goddesses he should spend his time with. He greatly preferred the company of Aphrodite, whose lover he became. When he died during a hunt, the anemone flower sprang from his blood.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1031 The Myth of Adonis\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10108]\par
\par
\b Aeacus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10111 Aegina\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , born on the island named after his mother. Si
nce the island was still uninhabited at the moment of his birth, Zeus turned its ants into human beings who became the people of the Myrmidons.\par
\par
[10109]\par
\par
\b Aeaea\b0 \par
\b 1. \b0 Island off the Tyrrhenian coast that took its name
from the sorceress \b \cf4 \ATXht10324 Circe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (or Aeaea), which later became linked to the mainland and was called Mount Circeus. \b 2.\b0 City in \b \cf4 \ATXht110 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ruled by King \b \cf4 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Circe's brother, where the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was kept before it was brought back to Greece by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 .\par
\b \cf4 \par
\cf0 1.\b0 \b \i \cf4 \ATXht113 The Voyage of Argona
uts: Aeaea Circea\par
\i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 2\b0 . \b \i \cf4 \ATXht110 The Voyage of Argonauts: Aea of Colchis\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10110]\par
\par
\b Aeδtes\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10324 Circ
e\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's brother, and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10101 Absyrtus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was king of Aeaea in Colchis at the time of the expedition of the Argonauts.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht110 Voya
ge of the Argonauts: Aea of Colchis\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10111]\par
\par
\b Aegina\par
\b0 Island in the Aegean Sea not far from Attica, which took its name from a nymph loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Since the island was
deserted at the time, Zeus changed its ants into human beings (the Myrmidons) who were ruled by \b \cf4 \ATXht10108 Aeacus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the son born from that union.\par
\par
[10112]\par
\par
\b Aeneas\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10126 Anchise
s\ATXht1032 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and\b \cf4 \ATXht1032 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was, along with \b \cf4 \ATXht10807 Hector\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the main Trojan hero, protected by his mother and \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . After th
e destruction of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 he took the \b \cf4 \ATXht11613 Penates\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of the city and the \b \cf4 \ATXht11601 Palladium\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with him and led his people to\b \cf4 \ATXht216 Latium\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , where he was warmly welcomed by King Latinus, whose daughter, Lavinia, he married. He ruled over the Latins and Trojans until he was killed fighting the Rutuli and Etruscans. Legend has it that he was taken to heaven.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht200 The
Voyage of Aeneas\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10113]\par
\par
\b Aeolus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was considered the guardian of the winds. He lived with his numerous children in his palace on the Aeolian Island
s, where they held an eternal banquet. When \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 arrived at the island Aeolus gave him a bag in which all the winds that might have hindered his return to Ithaca were bottled up. Aeneas, too, had an encounter with
Aeolus, who tried to prevent him from entering the Tyrrhenian Sea by means of a storm.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht405 The Voyage of Ulysses: Aeolus\par
\ATXht211 The Voyage of Aeneas: The region of Storms\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10114]\par
\par
\b Aeson\par
\b0 Father of \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the leader of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht11611 Pelias\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , on whose orders the expedition was launched.\par
\par
[10115]\par
\par
\b Agamemnon\par
\b0 Homer says that he was the son of King Atreus of \b \cf4 \ATXht11322 Mycenae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , descended from \b \cf4 \ATXht12002 Tantalus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He won the hand of the Spartan princess \b \cf4 \ATXht10326 Clytemnestra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , while his brother \b \cf4 \ATXht11309 Menelaus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 married her sister, \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , over whom the Trojan War was fought. The most powerful ruler in the whole of Greece, Agam
emnon commanded the Achaean armies during the expedition. On his return home he was killed by Thyestes' son Aegisthus, who had seduced Clytemnestra.\par
\par
[10116]\par
\par
\b Agave\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 a
nd \b \cf4 \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , rulers of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Along with her sisters, \b \cf4 \ATXht10908 Ino\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Autonoδ, she was possessed by the Bacchic frenzy and tore her son \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Pentheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to pieces on \b \cf4 \ATXht10325 Mount Cithaeron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1043 The Myth of Pentheus\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10117]\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1043 \par
\i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Aglauros
\par
\b0 The daughter of King Cecrops of Athens, she was given custody, along with her sister \b \cf4 \ATXht10815 Herse\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , of the basket in which \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had hidden \b \cf4 \ATXht10509 Erichthonius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , born out of \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' desire for the goddess and fecundated by the Earth. In spite of being warned not to open the basket, the two sisters wished to see the child, who appeared to them in the form of a serpent. Stric
ken with madness, Aglauros and Herse threw themselves from the Acropolis. There is another tradition which states that Aglauros was turned into a stone statue because she tried to come between Hermes and her sister.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1052 The M
yth of Aglauros\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10118]\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1052 \par
\i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Alcinous\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he ruled the \b \cf4 \ATXht11619 Phaeacian people\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with his wife
Arete. It was at his court that the \b \cf4 \ATXht413 shipwrecked \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 arrived and the wedding of \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was held.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht413 The Voyage of Ulysses: The Phaeaci
ans\par
\ATXht115 The Voyage of the Argonauts: Drepane of the Phaeacians\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10119]\par
\par
\b Alcippe\par
\b0 A nymph and daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was assaulted by \b \cf4 \ATXht10801 Halir
rothius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , a son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Ares responded to the offense by killing the rapist and, as a result, was placed on trial and then acquitted by the tribunal of the gods.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1049 The T
rial of Ares\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10120]\par
\par
\b Alcmene\b0 (or \b Alcmena\b0 )\par
Daughter of King Electryon of \b \cf4 \ATXht11322 Mycenae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was seduced by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who came to her i
n the guise of her husband Amphitryon. The god lay in her bed for an extremely long night in which the moon rose and set three times. Alcmene did not become aware of the deception until the following night, when she received the real Amphitryon. To Zeus
she bore \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ; to Amphitryon she bore another son, Iphicles, one night younger than Heracles.\par
\par
[10121]\par
\par
\b Aloadae\par
\b0 The twins Otus and Ephialtes, born from one of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseid
on\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's fleeting love affairs. The name derives from their earthly father, Aloeus, himself the son of Poseidon. Endowed with proverbial strength and courage, they fought in the \b \cf4 \ATXht10704 Gigantomachia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and succeede
d in capturing \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , keeping him prisoner in a bronze vessel for thirteen months. The god of war was set free by \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10122]\par
\par
\b Alpheus\par
\b0 The largest rive
r in the Pelopponesus that flows not far from \b \cf4 \ATXht11505 Olympia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Its course was diverted by Heracles to clean the \b \cf4 \ATXht10144 Augean\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 stables. The god of the river, who had fallen in love with the nymph
\b \cf4 \ATXht10132 Arethusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , pursued her across the sea as far as the island of \b \cf4 \ATXht11511 Ortygia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , near Syracuse.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht305 The Labors of Heracles: The Stables of Augeias\par
\ATXht210 T
he Voyage of Aeneas: Drepanum\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10123]\par
\par
\b Amalthea\par
\b0 The terrifying goat (or nymph according to some traditions) that nursed \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 during his childhood on the island of Cret
e. To prevent the child's cries reaching the ears of \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Amalthea gathered the \b \cf4 \ATXht10333 Curetes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 around the cave to make a great racket with their singing and dancing. Amalthea's horn, b
roken off by Zeus, became the cornucopia, or horn of plenty, and her hide the armor (aegis) that the god used in the struggle against the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . After her death she was placed among the constellations.\par
\par
[10
124]\par
\par
\b Amazons\par
\b0 A mythical race of female warriors, descended from the god \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , living around the city of \b \cf4 \ATXht12008 Themiscyra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in Asia Minor. Their name signifies "without b
reast" as they had their right breast removed in childhood to make it easier for them to draw the bow and throw the javelin. The \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 landed in their realm. Heracles, when he visited them, caused the death of the
ir queen \b \cf4 \ATXht10819 Hippolyta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht108 The Voyage of the Argonauts: The Pontus Euxinus\par
\ATXht309 The Labors of Heracles: The Girdle of Hippolyta\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10125]\par
\par
\b
Amycus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and king of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10202 Bebryces\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was celebrated for his skill as a wrestler and had the habit of challenging any stranger landing on the shores of Bithynia
to mortal combat. He was beaten and killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht11629 Pollux\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 while he was taking part in the expedition of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10126]\par
\par
\b Anchises\par
\b0 King of \b \cf4 \ATXht10401 Dardanus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in Troas and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 but, since he dared to boast of this, lamed by a thunderbolt from \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was destroyed, \b \cf4 \ATXht201 Anchises\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was already an old man and fled from the city riding on his son's shoulders. He died in \b \cf4 \ATXht210 Sicily\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 befor
e reaching the new home destined for his race.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1032 The Myth of Anchises\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10127]\par
\par
\b Andromache\par
\b0 Wife of the Trojan hero \b \cf4 \ATXht10807 Hector\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was ki
lled by \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 beneath the ramparts of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . After the victory of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10103 Achaeans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 she was given to \b \cf4 \ATXht11639 Pyrrhus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0
(also known as Neoptolemus) as a spoil of war and taken to Epirus. Later, she married \b \cf4 \ATXht10809 Helenus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , one of Hector's brothers who ruled at \b \cf4 \ATXht207 Butrotus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was here that Aeneas found her on hi
s voyage to Italy.\par
\par
[10128]\par
\par
\b Andromeda\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10314 Cepheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10307 Cassiopeia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Because her mother had offended the \b \cf4 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 demanded that she be sacrificed to a sea monster, but she was saved by \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who married her and took her to \b \cf4 \ATXht12013 Tiryns\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . After her de
ath she was placed among the constellations in the sky.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1053 The Myth of Andromeda\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10129]\par
\par
\b Anius\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the god's priest on
\b \cf4 \ATXht10403 Delos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \ATXht2079292399 He made a prediction to\b \cf4 \ATXht203 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht2079292399 about the destination of his voyage but his oracle was wrongly interpreted.\par
\ATXht0 \par
[10130]\par
\par
\b Anna\par
\b0 Sister of Queen \b \cf4 \ATXht10407 Dido\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht10305 Carthage\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she encouraged Dido in her love for \b \cf4 \ATXht212 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . After Dido's death, she fled to Italy, where she was
received with great courtesy by Aeneas. Turned into a nymph by the god of the river Numicus, she was honored by the Romans as Anna Perenna (the Eternal).\par
\par
[10131]\par
\par
\b Arachne\par
\b0 A girl of Lydia, she was the daughter of the famo
us dyer of purple Idmon of Colophon. A highly skilled weaver, she challenged \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to a contest and was changed into a spider.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1028 The Myth of Arachne\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10132]
\par
\par
\b Arethusa\par
\b0 One of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who, to escape the attentions of the river god \b \cf4 \ATXht10122 Alpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , was turned into the famous fountain on the island of \b \cf4 \ATXht11511
Ortygia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , near Syracuse. Alpheus joined her there by flowing under the sea.\par
\f0 \b \i \cf4 \ATXht1028 \par
\f1 \b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10133]\par
\par
\b Argo\par
\b0 Name of the ship that took the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on their quest for the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht100 The Voyage of the Argonauts\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10134]\par
\par
\b Argonauts\par
\b0 The sailors of the ship \b \cf4 \ATXht10133 Argo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the heroes who followed \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to obtain the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The various traditions that list their nam
es differ considerably, but are in agreement on the fact that the number of members of the expedition was between fifty and fifty-three, since the long galleys of the time (\i pentakontoroi\i0 ) had fifty oarsmen.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht100 The Voya
ge of the Argonauts\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10135]\par
\par
\b Argos\par
\b0 Capital of Argolis and, after Sparta, the most important city in the Peloponnesus.\par
\par
[10136]\par
\par
\b Argus\par
1.\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11408 Niobe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the third king of the city of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and ruler of the Peloponnesus. \b 2. \b0 Great-grandson of the former, "he who sees all," a creature with a hundre
d eyes who was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 while, on the orders of \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he watched over \b \cf4 \ATXht10909 Io\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 after she had been changed into a cow. \b 3.\b0 The builder of the s
hip \b \cf4 \ATXht10133 Argo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . (Note: the names Argus and Argos are often interchangeable.)\par
\par
[10137]\par
\par
\b Ariadne\par
\b0 Daughter of King \b \cf4 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Crete and Pasiphaδ, she was the s
ister of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11317 Minotaur\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the monster of the labyrinth that \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 killed with her aid. She married \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and, as his wife, was accepted on Mount
\b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The golden diadem, made by \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , that the god gave to her, later became a constellation.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1045 The Myth of Theseus and Ariadne\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10138]\par
\par
\b Ascanius\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10331 Creusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he left the city of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , burned down by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10103 Achaeans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , with his father and grandfather. After his father's death he ruled over the Latins and founded Albalonga, the mother city of Rome. Called Ilus or Julus by some sources, he was recognized by the Roman world as the founder of
the Julian people, to which Caesar belonged.\par
\par
[10139]\par
\par
\b Asclepius\b0 (or \b Asklepios\b0 )\par
Born to \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10330 Coronis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was raised by the centaur \b \cf4 \ATXht10320 Chiron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who taught him the art of medicine. He gained the power to work miraculous cures but when he became so skilled that he was able to raise the dead, \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 struck him down with a thunderbol
t as his work was upsetting the order of nature. At Apollo's request, he was transformed into the constellation of Serpens and was henceforth venerated as a god. His most famous sanctuary was at \b \cf4 \ATXht10507 Epidaurus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the seat of
a historical school of medicine. He was known to the Romans as Aesculapius.\par
\par
[10140]\par
\par
\b Asteria\par
\b0 Goddess of the stars, she was the sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and mother of the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht10805 Hecate\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She changed herself into a quail to escape the lust of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but he was able to pursue her by assuming the form of an eagle. Asteria then threw herself into the sea and turned into a small isla
nd in the Cyclades that also took the name of Ortygia (from \i ortyx\i0 , a quail). \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was born on that island, changed its name to Delos.\par
\par
[10141]\par
\par
\b Athamas\b0 (or \b Athamus\b0 )\par
Son
of \b \cf4 \ATXht10113 Aeolus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , god of the winds, he was the king of Orchomenus in Boeotia. On the orders of \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he had married Nephele, a divine creature who gave him two children, Phrixus and Helle, b
ut he fell in love with the mortal \b \cf4 \ATXht10908 Ino\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , one of the daughters of \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who bore him Learchus and Melicertes. The goddess Hera, wh
o felt slighted, sent a terrible drought to Boeotia, and Ino took advantage of this to demand the sacrifice of Phrixus and Helle. Nephele was able to arrange their escape to \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on the back of the ram with the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 golden fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Hera, more enraged than ever, drove Athamas out of his mind and he killed Learchus. Ino, in desperation, threw herself into the sea with their other son Melicertes: both were turned into marine deities.
\par
\par
[10142]\par
\par
\b Atlantis\par
\b0 The legendary name of a great island located to the west of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11625 Pillars of Hercules\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was swallowed up by the ocean in the course of a day and a night owing to the
wickedness of its inhabitants.\par
\par
[10143]\par
\par
\b Atlas\par
\b0 A \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titan\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the son of Iapetus and Clymene, he was the brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht11636 Prometheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10508
Epimetheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was one of those who waged war against \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and, after their defeat, was condemned to support the vault of the heavens on his shoulders. \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 took h
is place while he went to pick the golden apples in the garden of the \b \cf4 \ATXht311 Hesperides\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was nearly obliged to carry his burden forever. According to another version, Atlas' punishment had a different reason; when he refuse
d to help \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the latter showed him the head of \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and he was turned into Mount Atlas (in North Africa), on whose peak rested the sky and the stars.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1001 Titanomachia\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10144]\par
\par
\b Augeas\par
\b0 Son of the god \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was king of Elis and owned stables that housed three thousand oxen and had not been cleaned for thi
rty years. By a clever stratagem, \b \cf4 \ATXht305 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was able to clean them in a single day.\par
\par
[10145]\par
\par
\b Avernus\par
\b0 Name of a lake situated close to the promontory of Cumae, in Campania. It was, accordi
ng to Roman tradition, one of the entrances to the \b \cf4 \ATXht12101 Underworld\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and the cave of the Cumaean\b \cf4 \ATXht11907 Sibyl\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was located close by.\par
\par
[10200]\par
\par
\b Bacchantes\par
\b0 The reti
nue of women crowned with vine leaves who followed the chariot of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (Bacchus) during his wanderings in the East. Later, the name was used for the priestesses (also known as Bacchae) who celebrated rituals in his h
onor. They carried the thyrsus, a staff tipped with a pine cone and twined with ivy and vine leaves.\par
\par
[10201]\par
\par
\b Bacchus\par
\b0 Another name used by the Greeks for \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and by which the god was
known in the Roman world.\par
\par
[10202]\par
\par
\b Bebryces\par
\b0 Mythical people of \b \cf4 \ATXht105 Bithynia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 whose king, \b \cf4 \ATXht10125 Amycus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht11629 Pollux\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in a wrestling match.\par
\par
[10203]\par
\par
\b Bellerophon\par
\b0 Corinthian hero and descendant of \b \cf4 \ATXht11911 Sisyphus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was given the task of killing the monster Chimera, which was one third lion, one third goat, a
nd one third serpent. He succeeded with the help of the winged horse \b \cf4 \ATXht11609 Pegasus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , a gift from \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , which he tamed with the bit that \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had provide
d him.\par
\par
[10204]\par
\par
\b Bellona\par
\b0 The Latin equivalent of \b \cf4 \ATXht10505 Enyo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the Greek goddess of war.\par
\par
[10205]\par
\par
\b Boreas\par
\b0 The name of the god of the north wind, son of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titan\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Astraeus and Eos (the dawn, called Aurora by the Romans) and the brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht12600 Zephyr\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (or Zephyrus), Eurus, and \b \cf4 \ATXht11409 Notus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He abducted the Attic prince
ss Oreithyia, who bore him several children including \b \cf4 \ATXht10302 Calais\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12601 Zetes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \par
\par
[10206]\par
\par
\b Briareus\par
\b0 Also known by the name of Aegeon, he was the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , an enormous monster with fifty heads and a hundred arms. With his brothers Gyges and Cottus - the three of them were called the Hecatoncheires or Centimanes, both of whi
ch mean the "hundred-handed" - he helped \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in the war against the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and came to his aid when the \b \cf4 \ATXht30 Olympians\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , at \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's instigation, attempted to overthrow him.\par
\par
[10300]\par
\par
\b Cabiri\par
\b0 Deities linked to the cult of the Great Mother, also known as \b \cf4 \ATXht10333 Curetes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Corybantes. Their mysteries were celebrated a
t \b \cf4 \ATXht11901 Samothrace\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , where \b \cf4 \ATXht11509 Orpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 were initiated, among others. They were represented as primordial beings, but their names were sometim
es used to refer to entire peoples.\par
\par
[10301]\par
\par
\b Cadmus\par
\b0 Son of the Phoenician king Agenor and Telephassa, he was the brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the girl carried off by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in the form of a bull. He founded the first nucleus of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and married \b \cf4 \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who bore him four unfortunate daughters, Autonoδ, \b \cf4 \ATXht10908 Ino\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10116 Agave\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf4 \ATXht11906 Semele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Toward the end of their lives Cadmus and Harmonia mysteriously disappeared from Thebes, leaving the throne to their grandson \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Pentheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was said that Cadmus brought the alphabet from Phoenicia to Greece.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1063 The Myth of Cadmus\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10302]\par
\par
\b Calais\par
\b0 A winged being, son of the wind god \b \cf4 \ATXht10205 Boreas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was, along with brother \b \cf4 \ATXht12601 Zetes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , one of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10303]\par
\par
\b Callisto\par
\b0 Nymph of the woods. She was one of \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht1039 '\ATXht0 co
mpanions, but was tricked into losing her virginity to \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . As a consequence, she was changed into a bear and, after her death, placed among the constellations.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1039 The Myth of Callisto\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \par
[10304]\par
\par
\b Calypso\par
\b0 A nymph and daughter of the Titan \b \cf4 \ATXht10143 Atlas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she lived on the island of \b \cf4 \ATXht11511 Ortygia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She kept the hero \b \cf4 \ATXht412 U
lysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with her for seven years but was then forced to let him go by the gods.\par
\par
[10305]\par
\par
\b Carthage\par
\b0 Phoenician city founded on the Mediterranean coast of Africa by Queen\b \cf4 \ATXht212 \ATXht10407 Dido
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , an exile from Tyre. Aeneas stayed there, as the guest and lover of Dido.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht212 The Voyage of Aeneas: Carthage\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10306]\par
\par
\b Cassandra\par
\b0 Daughter of King \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Hecuba, she was \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's twin sister. She rejected the advances of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had given her the gift of pr
ophecy, and he punished her by preventing anyone from believing her predictions. Thus, when she denounced the horse left by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10103 Achaeans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 outside the walls of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 as a trap, her wo
rd went unheeded. After the city's destruction, she was taken back to \b \cf4 \ATXht11322 Mycenae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 by \b \cf4 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 as a slave. Here, before Agamemnon himself was killed by Aegisthus, Cassandra was murdere
d by Agamemnon's wife \b \cf4 \ATXht10326 Clytemnestra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10307]\par
\par
\b Cassiopeia\par
\b0 Wife of King \b \cf4 \ATXht10314 Cepheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Ethiopia. Her claim to be more beautiful than the \b \cf4 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 angered \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who demanded the sacrifice of her daughter \b \cf4 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was then turned into a constellation.\par
\par
[10308]\par
\par
\b Castor
\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and King \b \cf4 \ATXht12020 Tyndareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Sparta. With his brother \b \cf4 \ATXht11629 Pollux\ATXht101 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (the two of them were known as the Dioscuri) he took part in t
he expedition of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Since, unlike his brother, he was mortal, he persuaded \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to let him reside on \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on alternate days to Pollu
x.\par
\par
[10309]\par
\par
\b Celeno\b0 (or \b Coeleno\b0 )\par
One of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10803 Harpies\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who soiled the table of Phineus at \b \cf4 \ATXht106 Salmydessos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Encountered by \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on the \b \cf4 \ATXht205 Strophades Islands\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she predicted that he would face difficulties and sorrows.\par
\par
[10310]\par
\par
\b Celeus\par
\b0 King of \b \cf4 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht11312 Metaneira\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10405 Demopho÷n\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12016 Triptolemus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was the first priest of the temple of \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in \b \cf4 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10311]\par
\par
\b Centaurs\par
\b0 The race of the Centaurs was descended from \b \cf4 \ATXht10917 Ixion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . They were creatures with the body of a horse, with four legs, hooves, and a tail,
and the trunk and head of a human being. They led a proud and wild life on Mount Pelion in Thessaly and had the reputation of being cruel and quarrelsome. They fought a famous battle with the Lapiths when, drunk on wine, they tried to abduct all the wome
n at a wedding feast. The hero \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 also played a part in the battle, driving the Centaurs as far as Mount Pindus, on the borders of Epirus.\par
\par
[10312]\par
\par
\b Centimanes\par
\b0 Also known as the He
catoncheires, they were beings with fifty heads and a hundred arms. It is said that there were three of them: Cottus, \b \cf4 \ATXht10206 Briareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Gyges. Sons of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Ga
ea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , they belonged to the same generation as the \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and took \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' side in the war against the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10313]
\par
\par
\b Cephalus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the Attic princess \b \cf4 \ATXht10815 Herse\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10117 Aglauros\b0 \cf0 \ATXht1052 '\b \cf4 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 sister.\par
\par
[10314]\par
\par
\b Cepheus\par
\b0 King of Ethiopia, husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht10307 Cassiopeia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Like all the other protagonists of this myth, he was turned into a constellation.\par
\par
[10315]\par
\par
\b Cerberus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12021 Typhoeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10500 Echidna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the monstrous dog that guarded the entrance to \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was gene
rally described as having three heads and a serpent's tail. Hercules captured him with his bare hands and took him up to earth to show to \b \cf4 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 before sending him back to \b \cf4 \ATXht312 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .
\par
\par
[10316]\par
\par
\b Cercyon\par
\b0 Tyrant of \b \cf4 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . An invincible wrestler, it was his custom to challenge all foreigners passing through his land
and then put them to death. He was defeated and killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10317]\par
\par
\b Ceres\par
\b0 Roman name for the Greek goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10318]\par
\par
\b Charities\par
\b0 Called the Graces by the Romans, they were said, in different regions, to be the two (or three) daughters of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10519 Eurynome\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , of Night and Erebus, or of
\b \cf4 \ATXht10805 Hecate\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Their names also changed according to the author and place, but the most commonly used are the ones given by Hesiod, Aglaia (Ornament), Euphrosyne (Joy), and Thalia (
Abundance).\par
\par
[10319]\par
\par
\b Charon\par
\b0 The ferryman who took the shades of the dead across the rivers of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12101 Underworld\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , for which service he was paid by an \i obolus\i0 carried by the dead.
\par
\par
[10320]\par
\par
\b Chiron\par
\b0 The wisest and most just of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10311 Centaurs\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who had conceived him with a daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht11501 Oceanu
s\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He lived in a cave on Mount Pelion, in Thessaly, where he taught the art of hunting to \b \cf4 \ATXht10105 Actaeon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and many heroes including \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht11610 Peleus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf4 \ATXht10408 Diomedes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He also taught \b \cf4 \ATXht10139 Asclepius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 medicine. He had been given the gift of prophecy by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was also a virtuoso musician. Accidentally struck by a poisoned arrow shot by \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he renounced his immortality in favor of \b \cf4 \ATXht11636 Prometheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10321]\par
\par
\b Chrysaor\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was born, together with the horse \b \cf4 \ATXht11609 Pegasus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , from the blood of his mother when she was decapita
ted by \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10322]\par
\par
\b Cicones\par
\b0 Tribe in Thrace whose city was the first place visited by Ulysses after his departure from Troy. It was here that the priest Maron gave him the wine he
later used to intoxicate \b \cf4 \ATXht11631 Polyphemus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht11509 Orpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 lived among the Cicones and was torn to pieces by their women.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht402 The Voyage of Ulysses: The Cicones
\par
\ATXht404 The Voyage of Ulysses: The Cyclopes\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10323]\par
\b \par
Cinyras\par
\b0 Son of Paphos, he was king of Cyprus and founder of the city of Paphos. He had an incestuous relationship with his daughter \b \cf4 \ATXht11912 Smyrna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (Myrrha), who bore him \b \cf4 \ATXht10107 Adonis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10324]\par
\par
\b Circe\par
\b0 Daughter of the god \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was the sister of King \b \cf4 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . A powerful sorceress, she lived on the island of \b \cf4 \ATXht10109 Aeaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 where she changed any visitors into animals. \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 landed on the coast of the island, as did \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht113 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was Circe's niece.\par
\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht407 The Voyage of Ulysses: Circe\par
\ATXht113 The Voyage of the Argon
auts: Aeaea Circea\par
\par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10325]\par
\par
\b Cithaeron\par
\b0 Chain of mountains separating Boeotia from Megaris and Attica, sacred to \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the \b \cf4 \ATXht11321 Muses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was on the slopes of Mount Cithaeron that \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Pentheus \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10105 Actaeon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 met their deaths. \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 are said to
have consummated their secret marriage there, although other traditions indicate the island of \b \cf4 \ATXht11900 Samos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 or Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht10903 Ida\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in Troas.\par
\par
[10326]
\par
\par
\b Clytemnestra\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht12020 Tyndareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was the sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10410 Dioscuri\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Castor and Pollux. She m
arried \b \cf4 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but while her husband was away fighting beneath the walls of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , became the lover of Aegisthus, perhaps to get her revenge for the sacrifice of her daughter, Ip
higenia. On Agamemnon's return from the war, Clytemnestra killed him with the help of her lover, though not before putting to death \b \cf4 \ATXht10306 Cassandra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , her husband's slave, who might have put him on his guard with her propheti
c arts.\par
\par
[10327]\par
\par
\b Colchis\par
\b0 A region of Asia, on the shores of the Euxine (Black) Sea. It was the theater for the exploits of the \b \cf4 \ATXht110 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10328]\par
\par
\b Corcyra\par
\b0 The island known today as Corfu and which is identified with the ancient Scherie. It took its name from a nymph loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Phaeace, the son born from their union, was the ancestor of the \b \cf4 \ATXht413 Phaeac
ians\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10329]\par
\par
\b Corinth\par
\b0 The city founded by \b \cf4 \ATXht11911 Sisyphus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , set on the isthmus linking the Peloponnesus with the continent. It was here that \b \cf4 \ATXht11503 Oedipus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 grew up and \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 found refuge when they were expelled from \b \cf4 \ATXht10911 Iolcus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Here too the sorceress caused the death of \b \cf4 \ATXht10331 Creusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 out of jealousy.\par
\par
[10330]\par
\par
\b Coronis\par
\b0 Arcadian princess loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but who was unfaithful to him. The god was told of her infidelity by a white crow, his sa
cred bird, and decided to punish her by having her killed by the arrows of his sister \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Drawing her last breath, Coronis begged the god to save the child she had conceived, and Apollo took his son \b \cf4 \ATXht10139 Asclepius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 from her womb, handing him to the centaur \b \cf4 \ATXht10320 Chiron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to be raised. As for the crow, bearer of the bad news, Apollo changed his plumage from white to black.\par
\par
[10331]\par
\par
\b Cre
usa\par
1.\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Hecuba, she married \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and became the mother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10138 Ascanius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She died during the sack of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and her shade told her husband that the goal of his exile would be the \b \cf4 \ATXht201 Land of the Sunset\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b 2. \b0 Daughter of King Creon of Corinth and also known by the name of Glauce. \b \cf4 \ATXht11000
Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 left \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for her, and Medea avenged herself by giving her a robe that burst into fire and consumed her.\par
\par
[10332]\par
\par
\b Cronus\b0 (or \b Kronos\b0 )\par
The youngest of the
\b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , called Saturn by the Romans. He was the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (the Sky and the Earth), husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10818 Hestia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He castrated and killed his father Uranus. Afraid that his children would become more powerful than him, he devoured them as soon as they were born, but Rhea managed to save the last, Zeus. She gave birth to him in secret on the island
of Crete and then gave Cronus a stone wrapped in cloth to swallow. Once he was fully grown, Zeus forced his father to vomit up all the children he had swallowed and then seized power from him, putting down the revolt of the \b \cf4 \ATXht1001 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Cronus' brothers. The Titans were all cast into \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 but Cronus was given lordship over the Island of the Blessed.\par
\par
[10333]\par
\par
\b Curetes\par
\b0 There is no clear distinction betwee
n the Curetes and the Corybantes in the ancient literary sources. One tradition holds that they were the priests of the child \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on Crete who, with the noise of their singing and dancing, concealed the cries of the baby
from \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The myth claims between three and nine priests.\par
\par
[10334]\par
\par
\b Cyanean Rocks\par
\b0 Also known as the Symplegades, they were two rocky islands at the mouth of the Euxine Sea that clas
hed together, crushing any ship that attempted to pass.\par
\par
[10335]\par
\b
Cybele\par
\b0 Considered the "Great Mother" and regarded by mythographers as an incarnation of \b \cf4 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the mother of \b \cf4 \ATXht8
Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and of \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' other children.\par
\par
[10336]\par
\par
\b Cyclopes\par
\b0 The race of the Cyclopes, gigantic and savage beings with only one eye, was descended from \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Ur
anus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had confined them in \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but during the war with the \b \cf4 \ATXht1001 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 th
ey were set free by Zeus, to whom they gave the thunderbolt. They worked as \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht209 '\ATXht0 assistants in his forges located beneath volcanoes, but because of their strength they were said to have built the powerful
walls of \b \cf4 \ATXht11322 Mycenae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12013 Tiryns\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . One of them, \b \cf4 \ATXht404 Polyphemus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , was the protagonist of one of Ulysses' most celebrated adventures.\par
\par
[10337]
\par
\par
\b Cyllene\par
\b0 The highest mountain in the Peloponnesus, on the border between Arcadia and Achaea. The mountain was sacred to \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was born on its peak.\par
\par
[10338]\par
\par
\b Cyparissus
\par
\b0 A descendant of \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . After killing his favorite stag while out hunting, he fell into a state of despair so deep that he was consumed by it. Apollo the
n turned him into a cypress.\par
\par
[10339]\par
\par
\b Cyrene\par
\b0 Nymph loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The god took her on a chariot drawn by swans from Mount Pelion to Libya, where she gave her name to the city of Cyrene.
\par
\par
[10340]\par
\par
\b Cythera\par
\b0 A Greek island to the southeast of the furthermost tip of Laconia, celebrated for the cult of the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who was held to have emerged from the foam of the sea i
n the vicinity of its coast.\par
\par
[10341]\par
\par
\b Cyzicus\par
\b0 He reigned in \b \cf4 \ATXht103 Propontis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 over the people of the Dolyones, descendants of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was killed by mistake
\b0 Daughter of the river god \b \cf4 \ATXht11201 Ladon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (or the river god \b \cf4 \ATXht11614 Peneius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ) and the Earth. To escape the attentions of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 she got her mother to change her into a laurel tree.\par
\par
[10401]\par
\par
\b Dardanus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Electra, he was the mythical ancestor of the Trojans and, through them, the Romans. He founded the city in Troas that took his name and the Dardanelles, the ancient Hellespont, are also named after him. According to the Italic tradition, D
ardanus was the son of Corithus, the Etruscan prince of Cortona, who emigrated to Phrygia.\par
\par
[10402]\par
\par
\b Daedalus\par
\b0 An Athenian aristocrat and architect, he fled to Crete to escape a conviction and placed himself in the service
of King \b \cf4 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , for whom he built the labyrinth, a palace with a complicated maze of corridors in which the \b \cf4 \ATXht11317 Minotaur\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was shut up. When \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 f
ound his way through the labyrinth with the help of \b \cf4 \ATXht10137 Ariadne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Daedalus was accused of being his accomplice and imprisoned along with his son \b \cf4 \ATXht10902 Icarus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He managed to escape from Crete
with the aid of artificial wings held together by wax. Pursued relentlessly by Minos, he found refuge in Sicily, with King Cocalus of Camicus.\par
\par
[10403]\par
\par
\b Delos\par
\b0 One of the smallest islands in the Cyclades, it was summoned fr
om the depths of the sea by \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's trident and remained afloat until Leto gave birth to \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on it. Before this, the island was known as
Asteria or Ortygia.\par
\par
[10404]\par
\par
\b Delphi\par
\b0 Town in Phocis, on the slopes of Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht11607 Parnassus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and the location since ancient times of one of the most famous and venerated sanctuaries in Greec
e, linked to the cult of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It contained the \i omphalos\i0 , the navel of the world, the stone that \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was supposed to have swallowed instead of the newborn \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Z
eus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . At Delphi, purifications were carried out, auspices were taken for the foundation of colonies, and the celebrated Pythian Games were held.\par
\par
[10405]\par
\par
\b Demopho÷n\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10310 Celeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11312 Metaneira\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the rulers of \b \cf4 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the subject of the maternal attentions of \b \cf4 \ATXht1050 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who wished to make him immortal.\par
\par
[10406]\par
\par
\b Diana\par
\b0 Ancient Italic deity whom the Romans identified with the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10407]\par
\par
\b Dido\par
\b0 Daughter of King Belus of Tyre, she was forced by her brot
her to flee her native city, accompanied by a large group of nobles who remained loyal to her. Taking refuge in the territory occupied by the historical city of \b \cf4 \ATXht10305 Carthage\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she asked Iarbas, the king of that place, perm
ission to found a new city. Scornfully, he granted her as much land as could be enclosed by an ox hide. Dido cut the hide into thin strips and made a long rope out of them. She used this to mark out a large area on which the city of Carthage, "new city,"
was built. The prosperity that it attained within a short period aroused the envy of Iarbas, who demanded the hand (and realm) of Dido, threatening to wage war on Carthage if he was rejected. Dido preferred to immolate herself on her funeral pyre in the
presence of her entire people, who from then on worshipped her as a goddess. Virgil, in the \i Aeneid\i0 , took this tradition and turned it into the story of the love between Dido and \b \cf4 \ATXht212 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , even though over three ce
nturies had passed between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Carthage.\par
\par
[10408]\par
\par
\b Diomedes\par
1. \b0 King of Thrace, son of \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and famous for his mares, which he fed on strangers who ventur
ed into his land. The animals were captured by \b \cf4 \ATXht308 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and then let loose on Mount Olympus. \b 2. \b0 Hero of Aetolia and king of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He contributed eighty ships to the expeditio
n against \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was, after \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the most courageous of the Achaean warriors. Protected by \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he fought with \b \cf4 \ATXht10807 Hector
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10112 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and on one occasion even wounded \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Ares.\par
\par
[10409]\par
\par
\b Dione\par
\b0 Sometimes said to be the daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , at others one of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11500 Oceanids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she bore Tantalus Dione and \b \cf4 \ATXht11612 Pelops\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . One tradition held her to be the mother o
f \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , fathered to her by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10410]\par
\par
\b Dioscuri\par
\b0 The name given to the twins \b \cf4 \ATXht10308 Castor\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11629 Pol
lux\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It means "sons of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ."\par
\par
[10411]\par
\par
\b Dodona\par
\b0 Ancient seat of the oracle of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 located in Epirus. The oracle's responses were given thro
ugh the rustling of branches in the nearby sacred grove of oaks and the flight of the doves that nested there.\par
\par
[10412]\par
\par
\b Dryops\par
\b0 King of Arcadia whose daughter was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and bore
him \b \cf4 \ATXht11603 Pan\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 also fell in love with her, approaching her in the form of a turtle.\par
\par
[10500]\par
\par
\b Echidna\par
\b0 A monstrous creature, half woman and half serpent
, she was the daughter of Chrysaor, wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht12021 Typhoeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and mother of most of the monsters of classical mythology. These included the sleepless dragon that guarded the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ,
the dragon that watched over the golden apples of the \b \cf4 \ATXht311 Hesperides\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht312 Cerberus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht11903 Scylla\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the \b \cf4 \ATXht302 Lernaean Hydra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the \b \cf4 \ATXht301 Nemean Lion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the dog \b \cf4 \ATXht11510 Orthrus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and even the eagle that tormented \b \cf4 \ATXht11636 Prometheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was killed in her sleep by \b \cf4 \ATXht10136 Argus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .
\par
\par
[10501]\par
\par
\b Echo\par
\b0 Nymph of the woods and springs, she was deprived of the capacity of speech by \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 because, by arrangement with \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she used to distract h
er with her chatter while her divine husband was paying court to other nymphs. She could only make sounds by repeating the words that she heard, but retained her body until she fell in love with Narcissus. The young man, wholly absorbed by his own beauty
, spurned Echo's love and she was so consumed by her sorrow that nothing was left but her voice, the echo.\par
\par
[10502]\par
\par
\b Eleusis\par
\b0 City in Attica, to the northwest of Athens. It was a religious center of primary importance becau
se of its temple dedicated to \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Great festivities (Eleusinia) were held there, as well as the Eleusinian Mysteries that evoked the wanderings of the goddess on earth in search of her daughter \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 P
\b0 The Happy Land of the Blessed which, according to Homer, was not really part of the kingdom of the dead as it was loc
ated to the west of the earth, close to the Ocean. In the Roman world, the \b \cf4 \ATXht10503 Elysian Fields\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 were a privileged area of \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10504]\par
\par
\b Enceladus\par
\b0 Son of
\b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (or \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ) and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was one of the giants who rebelled against \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who crushed him beneath Mount Etna.\par
\par
[10505]\par
\par
\b Enyo\par
\b0 Female deity of war and companion of \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , whose daughter or sister she was considered to be. In Rome, she was i
dentified with Bellona.\par
\par
[10506]\par
\par
\b Epaphus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht1003 Io\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was born on the banks of the Nile after his mother's long wanderings.\par
\par
[10507]
\par
\par
\b Epidaurus\par
\b0 Sanctuary of the god of medicine \b \cf4 \ATXht10139 Asclepius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , located in Argolis, in the Peloponnesus. Here, pilgrims lay under the porch (\i abaton\i0 ) and waited to be visited during their sleep (or
a state of trance) by Asclepius, who handled the diseased part of the body and gave indications about the treatment to be followed.\par
\par
[10508]\par
\par
\b Epimetheus\par
\b0 Belonging to the race of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10143 Atlas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11636 Prometheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , his exact opposite (Prometheus was he "who foresees," Epimetheus the one "who reflects after the event"). He accepted \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' insidious gift, \b \cf4 \ATXht1014 Pandora\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the source of all humanity's ills.\par
\par
[10509]\par
\par
\b Erichthonius\par
\b0 He was born from \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' desire for \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The god's seed, falling on the ground, inseminated \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who gave birth to Erichthonius. The child was hidden in a basket by Athena and given into the care of \b \cf4 \ATXht10117 Aglauro
s\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Pandrosos, and \b \cf4 \ATXht10815 Herse\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the daughters of King Cecrops of Athens. Despite Athena's orders to the contrary, the girls were unable to resist peeping into the basket and, terrified by the sight of Ericht
honius, who appeared to them in the form of a serpent, were stricken by madness casting themselves from the top of the Acropolis. Tradition made Erichthonius protector of the Acropolis of Athens, King of Attica, and founder of the Panathenaea.\par
\par
[10510]\par
\par
\b Eridanus\par
\b0 River in the West sometimes identified with the Po or the Rh⌠ne. It was in its waters that \b \cf4 \ATXht11620 Phaδthon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 fell when he tried to drive the chariot of his father \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 He
lios\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht112 \par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10511]\par
\par
\b Erinyes\b0 (or \b Erinnyes\b0 )\par
Also known as the Eumenides, they were the goddesses of vengeance, the righters of human wrongs. Some considered them
daughters of \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but the majority of the sources state that they were born from the drops of blood shed on the Earth when \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0
was mutilated. Three of them were usually named, Alecto, Megara, and Tisiphone, and they were represented as female winged creatures with serpents winding through their hair and drops of blood trickling from their eyes. The Romans called them the Furies.
\par
\par
[10512]\par
\par
\b Eris\par
\b0 Goddess of discord, it was she who threw the golden apple into the midst of the gods at the wedding of \b \cf4 \ATXht11610 Peleus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , leading to
the judgment of \b \cf4 \ATXht1013 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the consequences that ensued.\par
\par
[10513]\par
\par
\b Eros\par
\b0 God of love whose mother was \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and father, according to different version
s, \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , or \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was represented as a capricious youth who, with his arrows that had different powers, controlled love among human beings and
gods. The Romans called him Cupid. His counterpart was Anteros (Love Opposed).\par
\par
[10514]\par
\par
\b Erymanthus\par
\b0 Mountain in the Peloponnesus, on the frontier between Arcadia and Elis. The boar killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht304 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 lived in the woods on its slopes.\par
\par
[10515]\par
\par
\b Etna\par
\b0 The volcano considered to be one of the forges of the god \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , where the \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 fas
hioned the thunderbolts of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht209 \par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10516]\par
\par
\b Europa\par
\b0 Daughter of King Agenor of Phoenicia and sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .
\b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was struck by her beauty and, in order to approach her, assumed the shape of a bull and mingled with the herd that the girl was tending on the seashore. Europa climbed on his back and was carried over the waves to the
island of Crete. Here, she bore Zeus three sons, \b \cf4 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon.\par
\par
[10517]\par
\par
\b Eurota\par
\b0 River in the Peloponnesus that flows not far from Sparta. It was on its banks that
\b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 united with \b \cf4 \ATXht10206 Leda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in the form of a swan and that the youth \b \cf4 \ATXht10821 Hyacinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , met his death.\par
\par
[10518]\par
\par
\b Eurydice\par
\b0 The wife that \b \cf4 \ATXht11509 Orpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 tried to bring back from the world of the dead.\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1048 \par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10519]\par
\par
\b Eurynome\par
\b0 Daughter of
\b \cf4 \ATXht11501 Oceanus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and mother of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10318 Charites\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Together with her sister, \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she rescued and raised \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 after
he had been hurled from \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 by his mother, \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10520]\par
\par
\b Eurystheus\par
\b0 Grandson of \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . His birth was haste
ned by \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to prevent \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the son of his cousin \b \cf4 \ATXht10120 Alcmene\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , from gaining the primogeniture. He ruled over \b \cf4 \ATXht12013 Tiryns\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf4 \ATXht11322 Mycenae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was he who, on Hera's instructions, imposed on Heracles the "labors" that were to earn him glory. He died in battle against the Athenians and his head
was brought to Alcmene, who tore out his eyes. Other traditions hold that he was killed by the shade of Iolaus, Heracles' nephew and friend.\par
\par
[10600]\par
\par
\b Fate\par
\b0 The Destiny that not even the gods could evade.\par
\par
[10700]
\par
\par
\b Gaea\b0 (or \b Ge\b0 )\par
Personification of the earth, the first being to emerge out of the primordial chaos. She was the sister and wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , to whom she bore the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Uranus, who hated and feared his children, concealed them in the depths of the earth (of Gaea) as soon as they were born. Angered by this, Gaea extracted iron from her own bowels and fashioned a sickle. She gave this weapon to \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the last of her children to be born, who used it to emasculate his father and seized power. From the drops of Uranus' blood that fell on the earth were born the \b \cf4 \ATXht10511 Erinyes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ; according to one tradition, the drops that fell in the sea created \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10701]\par
\par
\b Ganymede\par
\b0 Young hero from the royal house of Troas, perhaps the son (o
r grandson) of \b \cf4 \ATXht11205 Laomedon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . His extraordinary beauty made a great impression on \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who had him carried off by an eagle, a bird sacred to the god, and brought to \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olym
pus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , where he became cup bearer to the gods. To compensate \b \cf4 \ATXht10701 Ganymede\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's father, Zeus presented him with the divine horses that caught the interest of \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10702]\par
\par
\b Geryon\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10321 Chrysaor\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was a monster with three heads or, according to some traditions, three bodies fused together. He reigned over the Western lands and was the owner of the
magnificent red oxen that were stolen by \b \cf4 \ATXht310 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10703]\par
\par
\b Giants\par
\b0 Creatures of much larger size than human beings, born from the drops of \b \cf4 \ATXht10102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' bl
ood that fell to the earth when he was mutilated by his son \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Thus, their mother was \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and it was at her instigation that they attempted to storm \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olym
pus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and dethrone \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (\b \cf4 \ATXht10704 Gigantomachia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ). After their defeat, many of them were buried beneath volcanoes.\par
\par
[10704]\par
\par
\b Gigantomachia\par
\b0 The grea
t and primordial struggle between the \b \cf4 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the \b \cf4 \ATXht30 Olympians\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 that took place on the peninsula of Pallene, in Thrace. Although they were of divine origin, the Giants were mortal or,
at least, could be killed if struck simultaneously by a god and a mortal. For this reason, the presence of \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had not yet been accepted among the gods, was decisive. The Giants were vanquished one by one: A
lcyoneus, for instance, who was invincible as long as he remained on his native soil, was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 after the hero had carried him out of Pallene; Ephialtes was str
uck by an arrow from \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in the left eye and one from Heracles in the right; \b \cf4 \ATXht11632 Porphyrion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who attacked \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , was brought down by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' thunderbolt and Heracles' arrows.\par
\par
[10705]\par
\par
\b Golden Fleece\par
\b0 This was the fleece of the ram born to \b \cf4 \ATXht12009 Theophane\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , which was th
en given by \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to Nephele, wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht10141 Athamas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and mother of Phrixus and Helle. When the two children were to be sacrificed as a result of the intrigues of Ino, their mother arranged
their escape riding on the back of the sacred animal. During the journey, Helle fell into the sea and died (at the Hellespont), but Phrixus reached Asia Minor, where he sacrificed the ram to \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Its fleece, which brough
t wealth and power to anyone who possessed it, was given to King \b \cf4 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and hung from an oak tree in the grove sacred to \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , where it
was guarded night and day by a dragon. It was to bring this treasure back to Greece that the expedition of \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the \b \cf4 \ATXht100 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was mounted.\par
\par
[10706]\par
\b \par
Gorgo
ns\par
\b0 Three terrible female figures, Stheno, Euryale, and \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , daughters of the marine deities Phorcys and Ceto. They were represented with their heads covered with hissing serpents and with golden wings, bro
nze hands, and gigantic teeth. The only one of the three who was mortal, Medusa, was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10707]\par
\par
\b Graces\par
\b0 Latin name for the \b \cf4 \ATXht10318 Charities\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10708]\par
\par
\b Graeae, the\par
\b0 Daughters of the marine divinities Phorcys and Ceto and sisters of the three \b \cf4 \ATXht10706 Gorgons\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , they belonged to the race of pre-Olympian deities. Their names were \b \cf4 \ATXht10505 Enyo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Pephredo, and Dino. They were born old and had only one tooth and one eye between then, which they used in turn. As only they knew how \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 could be killed, \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perse
us\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 forced them to reveal the secret which allowed him to cut off her head.\par
\par
[10800]\par
\par
\b Hades\par
\b0 The name refers not only to the god, but also to his home, the world of the dead that was also known as \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The place was said to be as far beneath the earth as the sky is above it. In his \i Theogony\i0 , Hesiod states that "an anvil, falling from the sky, would take nine days and nine nights to reach the earth on the tenth
day; it would take the same anvil another nine days and nine nights to reach Tartarus from the earth."\par
\par
[10801]\par
\par
\b Halirrothius\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he raped \b \cf4 \ATXht10119 Alcippe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was killed by her father, \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Ares was \b \cf4 \ATXht1049 tried\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for murder by the tribunal of the gods and acquitted.\par
\par
[10802]\par
\par
\b Harmonia\par
\b0 Commonly held to be the
daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , though some traditions have her parents as Electra and \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She lived in \b \cf4 \ATXht11901 Samothrace\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ,
and it was here that she met \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 when he was looking for his sister \b \cf4 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , abducted by Zeus. The young couple married at Cadmea, the original nucleus of the city of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 founded by Cadmus, and all the gods were present at the solemn ceremony. Among the wedding gifts was a necklace, made by the jealous \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , which was to prove fatal to all those who po
ssessed it. It was to prove so for Harmonia's four daughters, all of whom met a tragic fate: \b \cf4 \ATXht1021 Semele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ,\b \cf4 \ATXht1043 \ATXht10116 Agave\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10908 Ino\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Autonoδ. At the
end of their lives, Harmonia and her husband left Thebes and went to Illyria, where they assumed the form of serpents.\par
\par
[10803]\par
\par
\b Harpies\par
\b0 Winged monsters, daughters of the primordial marine god Thaumas and the Oceanid Elect
ra. They belonged to the pre-Olympian generation of gods and were represented as women with wings, or birds with a women's heads. The gods used them to inflict punishments on men and heroes whom they wanted to persecute for one reason or another. This wa
s the case with \b \cf4 \ATXht11621 Phineus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but on that occasion they were defeated by \b \cf4 \ATXht10302 Calais\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12601 Zetes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and forced to take refuge on the \b \cf4 \ATXht11916 Strop
hades\ATXht205 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Islands. It was here that \b \cf4 \ATXht205 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 encountered them.\par
\par
[10804]\par
\par
\b Hebe\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was the cup bearer to the gods and was herself the goddess of youth. When \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ascended to \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 she became his wife.\par
\par
[10805]\par
\par
\b Hecate\par
\b0
Daughter of Perses and \b \cf4 \ATXht10140 Asteria\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she belonged to the race of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was the only one to retain her powers even under the reign of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She
played a part in the search for the abducted \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was her assistant and a friend of \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She became a deity of the Underworld, skilled in all kinds of magic. She was said t
o wander over the earth at night with the shades of the dead, halting at crossroads. Her approach was heralded by the barking of dogs.\par
\par
[10806]\par
\par
\b Hecatoncheires\par
\b0 Also known as the Centimanes, they were beings with fifty head
s and a hundred arms. It is said that there were three of them: Cottus, \b \cf4 \ATXht10206 Briareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Gyges. Sons of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , they belonged to the same
generation as the \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and took \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' side in the war against the \b \cf4 \ATXht1001 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10807]\par
\par
\b Hector\par
\b0 The greatest of the
Trojan heroes, first born son of Priam and Hecuba and affectionate husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht10127 Andromache\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He caused the death of Patroclus and fought in single combat with \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who wanted to
avenge the death of his inseparable friend. He was killed in the fight and his mangled body was returned to his father Priam on the orders of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . His shade advised \b \cf4 \ATXht201 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to flee from
Troy with the \b \cf4 \ATXht11613 Penates\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , his family, and the survivors of the massacre.\par
\par
[10808]\par
\par
\b Helen\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , si
ster of \b \cf4 \ATXht10326 Clytemnestra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the \b \cf4 \ATXht10410 Dioscuri\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was considered the most beautiful woman of the Greek world. While still very young she was carried off by \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who took her to Attica and married her, but was brought back to \b \cf4 \ATXht11914 Sparta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 by the Dioscuri. She then attracted the attention of many nobles, from whom she chose the obscure \b \cf4 \ATXht11309 Menelaus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Subsequently, she was seduced by \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , whom she followed to \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , arousing the ire of her former suitors. This was the pretext for the ten-year Trojan War. On the death
of Paris, she married her brother-in-law Deiphobus but, after the capture of the city, was reconciled with Menelaus. She went back to Sparta with him, where she bore \b \cf4 \ATXht10814 Hermione\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and became a paragon of all the domestic v
irtues. The accounts of her death are divergent. One tradition holds that she was deified along with her husband Menelaus, another that she was banished from Sparta and sought refuge in Rhodes, but was hanged there. In the tales of the Mysteries, she mar
ried \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and lived with him forever on the island of Leuca, located at the mouth of the Danube.\par
\par
[10809]\par
\par
\b Helenus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Hecuba and a
member of the Trojan royal dynasty, he was endowed, like his twin sister \b \cf4 \ATXht10306 Cassandra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , with the gift of prophecy. During the Trojan War, he deserted and went over to the side of the Greeks, perhaps because, after the de
ath of \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was unable to obtain \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who married Deiphobus. After the city's fall he followed \b \cf4 \ATXht11639 Pyrrhus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 A
chilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who took \b \cf4 \ATXht10127 Andromache\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with him as a spoil of war. When Pyrrhus died he received part of his kingdom and married Andromache. \b \cf4 \ATXht207 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 met the couple in Epirus.
\par
\par
[10810]\par
\par
\b Helios\par
\b0 The sun god, also known as Phoebus (though this was more properly the epithet of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ), he was son of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titan\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Hyperion and the Titaness Theia and brother of Eos (the Dawn) and
\b \cf4 \ATXht11905 Selene\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (the Moon). In the morning Helios rose from the \b \cf4 \ATXht11501 Ocean\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in the east, where his splendid palace was located, crossed the sky in a golden chariot (or bowl), and in the evening de
scended into the \b \cf4 \ATXht310 Ocean\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 again to the west. He was the god who saw everything that happened on heaven and earth. He told \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's \b \cf4 \ATXht1012 adultery\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , informed \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's\b \cf4 \ATXht11617 \ATXht1009 abduction\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and discovered the theft of his own oxen, killed in Tri
nacria (Sicily) by \b \cf4 \ATXht411 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' companions. He was the father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10324 Circe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Clymene bore him \b \cf4 \ATXht11620 Phaδthon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and
his sisters the Heliads. Pasiphaδ, the wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , was also his daughter.\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1009 \par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10811]\par
\par
\b Heracles\par
\b0 Called Hercules by the Romans, he was the son
of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10120 Alcmene\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the wife of Amphitryon of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The day Heracles was due to be born, the jealous \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 flew
to \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to speed up the birth of Heracles' cousin \b \cf4 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , while she sent Ilithyia to delay \b \cf4 \ATXht10120 Alcmene\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's delivery. Thus, Eurystheus was born
first and became the head of the house of the Perseids to which both the newborn children belonged. The divine nature of Heracles (who was then known as Alcides or Alcaeus) was revealed straight-away when, still in swaddling clothes, he strangled two ser
pents that Hera had sent to attack him. He spent his childhood in Thebes and at the age of eighteen was sent by Amphitryon to herd the flocks of King Thespius on Helicon. As the king wished the hero to give him a grandson, he placed one of his fifty daug
hters in his bed each night and Heracles united with all of them, believing them to be the same girl (another tradition holds that he lay with them all in a single night!). The fifty children born as a result were called the Thespiads. He also begot seve
ral children with his wife Megara, daughter of King Creon of Thebes, but, struck with madness by Hera, killed them. He then went to \b \cf4 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to purify himself and was told by the \b \cf4 \ATXht11640 Pythia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to place himself in the service of Eurystheus at \b \cf4 \ATXht12013 Tiryns\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for twelve years. It was the Pythia who gave him the name of Heracles, or "he who receives glory from Hera." And, in fact, glory did come to him from the famou
s twelve labors, imposed on him by Eurystheus but at the behest of Hera. His subsequent exploits saw Heracles struggling with \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for possession of the tripod at Delphi; the slave of Queen Omphale of Lydia, who forced
him to wear women's clothes; a sailor on the ship \b \i \cf4 \ATXht104 Argos\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 during the expedition in search of the Golden Fleece; and a leading combatant in the \b \cf4 \ATXht10704 Gigantomachia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . As well as Megara,
whom he gave up to his friend and nephew Iolaus after the murder of their children (though it is also said that she was killed along with them), he was married to Deianeira, who was the cause of his earthly death. While, again in exile, Heracles was wand
ering with his new bride, he killed the centaur Nessus, who tried to rape her, with a poisoned arrow. Nessus, as he died, told Deianeira to collect his blood as it would preserve her husband's love forever. Later on, when Heracles fell in love with Princ
ess Iole of Euboea, Deianeira soaked her husband's tunic in the centaur's blood and the poison of the arrow, still present in the blood, caused him atrocious suffering. At the sight of this, Deianeira killed herself. Heracles, racked with pain, also soug
ht relief in death. He lay down on a stack of wood and ordered it to be set alight, but as soon as the flames began to lap his body, he was transported to \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 where he was endowed with immortality, reconciled with
\b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and married to her daughter, \b \cf4 \ATXht10804 Hebe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht300 \par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10812]\par
\par
\b Hercules\par
\b0 Roman name for \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10813]\par
\par
\b Hermaphroditus\par
\b0 He was, as his name suggests, a son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . A youth of extraordinary beauty, he fell in love with the
nymph of the spring Salmacis, near Halicarnassus. One day, when the young man was bathing naked in the spring, the nymph threw her arms around him and prayed to the gods that they might remain united forever. Her desire was granted and their two bodies w
ere fused into one, though it retained the characteristics of both.\par
\par
[10814]\par
\par
\b Hermione\par
\b0 The beautiful daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11309 Menelaus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , whose hand was
given to Achilles' son \b \cf4 \ATXht11639 Pyrrhus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (Neoptolemus).\par
\par
[10815]\par
\par
\b Herse\par
\b0 Daughter of King Cecrops of Athens and sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht1052 Aglauros\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , with whom she was given cust
ody of the basket in which \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had concealed \b \cf4 \ATXht10509 Erichthonius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10816]\par
\par
\b Hesione\par
\b0 Daughter of
\b \cf4 \ATXht11205 Laomedon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , King of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was offered as a sacrifice to the monster sent to Troas by \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to punish her father, who had refused to pay him for
the construction of the walls of Troy. She was saved by \b \cf4 \ATXht309 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10817]\par
\par
\b Hesperides\par
\b0 The custodians of the \b \cf4 \ATXht311 golden apples\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 that \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gae
a\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 gave to \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on the occasion of her marriage to \b Zeus\b0 . They were three (or four) daughters of \b Atlas\b0 , also known as the \ATXht1048795 odian\ATXht18939912 s of the golden apples that Gaea gav
e to Hera on the occasion of her marriage to Zeus. They were three (or four) daughters of Atlas, also known as the "daughters of the Sunset" because their \ATXht1048795 odian\ATXht18939912 s of the golden apples that Gaea gave to Hera on the occasion of
her marriage to Zeus. They were three (or four) daughters of Atlas, also known as the "daughters of the Sunset" because their land was located in the far west. Later on, \ATXht1048795 odian\ATXht18939912 s of the golden apples that Gaea gave to Hera on t
he occasion of her marriage to Zeus. They were three (or four) daughters of Atlas, also known as the "daughters of the Sunset" because their land was located in the far west. Later on, they were said to live on Mount Atlas or in \ATXht1048795 odian\ATXht18939912 s of the golden apples that Gaea gave to Hera on the occasion of her marriage to Zeus. They were three (or four) daughters of Atlas, also known as the "daughters of the Sunset" because their land was located in the far west. Later on, they were sa
id to live on Mount Atlas or in various other locations in North Africa.\par
\par
\ATXht0 [10818]\par
\par
\b Hestia\par
\b0 The first child born to \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11800 Rhea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was s
wallowed and then vomited up by her father as were her brothers (\b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ) and sisters (\b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ) when
they were liberated by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was one of the great deities of Olympus, which she never left, unlike the other gods who used to come and go in the world. She rejected the love of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0
and Poseidon and was granted permission by Zeus to remain a virgin forever. She was the patron of the domestic hearth and her sacred fire burned in all temples. The Romans called her Vesta.\par
\par
[10819]\par
\par
\b Hippolyta\par
\b0 Daughter of
\b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and queen of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10124 Amazons\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht309 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had been ordered to bring back her girdle.\par
\par
[10820]\par
\par
\b Horae
\par
\b0 Daughters of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12007 Themis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and sisters of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11320 Moerae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . There were three of them, Eunomia (Law), Dike (Justice), and Irene (Peace), and they p
resided over the order of nature.\par
\par
[10821]\par
\par
\b Hyacinth\par
\b0 Handsome young Spartan loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12600 Zephyr\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When he was killed, a new flower was born from h
is blood. Its petals bear marks reminiscent of both Apollo's cry of lamentation (AI) and the initial of the young man's name (Y, for \i Yakinthos\i0 ).\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1033 \par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10822]\par
\par
\b Hyades\par
\b0 The nymphs
of Nysa who raised \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and were changed by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 into a constellation.\par
\par
[10823]\par
\par
\b Hylas\b0 \par
A very handsome youth loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht104 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and captured by the \b \cf4 \ATXht11400 Naiads\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10824]\par
\par
\b Hyperboreans\par
\b0 A fabulous people believed to live in a state of perfect happiness in an unknown land where the sun never set. According t
o other traditions, the garden of the\b \cf4 \ATXht311 \ATXht10817 Hesperides\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , where the \b \cf4 \ATXht311 golden apples\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 were kept, was located in their country.\par
\par
[10825]\par
\par
\b Hypsipyle\par
\b0 Queen
of \b \cf4 \ATXht11207 Lemnos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who ruled over a people made up solely of women. During the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' stay on her island, she fell in love with \b \cf4 \ATXht102 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and offered him
her throne.\par
\par
[10900]\par
\par
\b Iarbas\par
\b0 King of the Getulians, born to \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the nymph Libya. He granted \b \cf4 \ATXht10407 Dido\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 the land on which she built the city of \b \cf4 \ATXht212 Carthage\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and was a suitor for her hand.\par
\par
[10901]\par
\par
\b Iasion\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Electra, who was one of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11626 Pleiades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was loved by
\b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who lay with him on the island of Crete, in a field that had been plowed three times. The son born to them was \b \cf4 \ATXht11628 Plutus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , "Wealth."\par
\par
[10902]\par
\par
\b Icarus\par
\b0 Son of the architect \b \cf4 \ATXht10402 Daedalus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Neucrate, one of \b \cf4 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf0 's\ATXht0 slaves, he attempted to flee from Crete with the wings constructed by his father. He fell into the sea near \b \cf4 \ATXht11900 Samos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and ever since the place has been known as the Icarian Sea.\par
\b \i \cf4 \ATXht1060 \par
\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 [10903]\par
\par
\b Ida\par
1. \b0 Chain of mountains in Troas, in Asia Minor, where \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 P
aris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 made his judgment, \b \cf4 \ATXht10126 Anchises\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 met \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Ganymede was carried off by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . One tradition holds that the secret marriage bet
ween Zeus and \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was celebrated there. \b 2.\b0 Mountain on the island of Crete where Zeus was born and then raised by the goat, \b \cf4 \ATXht10123 Amalthea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\b \par
\b0 [10904]\par
\par
\b Id
as\par
\b0 He was \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's rival in love for \b \cf4 \ATXht11303 Marpessa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He took her from the god, using a winged chariot given to him by \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and, since Apollo had
no intention of renouncing her, \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 allowed Marpessa herself to decide which of them she wanted. The girl chose Idas as she feared that Apollo would abandon her when she began to grow old.\par
\par
[10905]\par
\par
\b Ilithyia\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and therefore sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht10804 Hebe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she presided over childbirth. A faithful servant of her mother, she was also the instrument of her hatred. She was not permitted to assist \b \cf4 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 until nine days after the beginning of her labor pains. In t
he same way, the delivery of \b \cf4 \ATXht10120 Alcmene\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , hated by Hera, was delayed to ensure the primogeniture of \b \cf4 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10906]\par
\par
\b Ilium\par
\b0 The name given by the Gr
eeks to the city of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10907]\par
\par
\b Infernal Regions\par
\b0 The term used in Roman mythology to refer to the world of the dead, otherwise known as \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , T
artarus, or the Underworld.\par
\par
[10908]\par
\par
\b Ino\par
\b0 Daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, she was the sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht11906 Semele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10116 Agave\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Autonoδ and the mother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10105 Actaeon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was the second wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht10141 Athamas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who abandoned Nephele for her, and bore him Learchus and Melicertes. When \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 sent down a terrible drought on
the fields of Boeotia, Ino bribed the ambassadors her husband had sent to consult the oracle at \b \cf4 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to bring back a false response, claiming that the god demanded the sacrifice of Phrixus and Helle, Athamas' sons
by his first wife Nephele. The two children escaped from Greece riding on the back of the ram with the golden fleece. Athamas and Ino were driven mad by Hera. Athamas killed Learchus and Ino threw herself into the sea with Melicertes. But the mother and
child were changed into marine divinities called Leucothea and Palaemon.\par
\par
[10909]\par
\par
\b Io\par
\b0 Daughter of Inachus, the first king of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and turned by him into a cow.\par
\par
[10910]\par
\par
\b Iolaus\par
\b0 The son of Iphicles, who was \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' half-brother, he accompanied his uncle on some of his \b \cf4 \ATXht302 exploits\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 a
nd married his wife, Megara, when Heracles left her for Deianeira. One tradition holds that after his death he was allowed to return among the living to kill Heracles' persecutor, \b \cf4 \ATXht10520 Eurystheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . His mission accomplished,
he went back to the kingdom of the dead.\par
\par
[10911]\par
\par
\b Iolcus\par
\b0 The present-day Volos, in Thessaly, from where the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 set out on their quest for the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \par
\par
[10912]\par
\par
\b Iphigenia\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10326 Clytemnestra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Since Agamemnon had killed a hind sacred to \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the goddess prevented the departure of the Achaeans for \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , demanding the sacrifice of Iphigenia. Agamemnon had his daughter sent to Aulis, where the fleet was blocked, but the sacrifice did not ta
ke place because, at the last moment, Artemis put a hind in the girl's place on the altar.\par
\par
[10913]\par
\par
\b Iris\par
\b0 Personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. She was sent by \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to s
tir up the revolt of the Trojan women who burned \b \cf4 \ATXht213 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' fleet in Sicily.\par
\par
[10914]\par
\par
\b Isis\par
\b0 One of the main Egyptian deities, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. The Greeks identified her wi
th \b \cf4 \ATXht10909 Io\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10915]\par
\par
\b Istrus\par
\b0 The river now called the Danube that the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ascended to escape the ships of \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 after the conquest of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10916]\par
\par
\b Ithaca\par
\b0 Small Greek island in the Ionian Sea, off the coast of Epirus. It was ruled by Ulysses, who returned there after a ten-year v
oyage following the destruction of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[10917]\par
\par
\b Ixion\par
\b0 King of the Lapiths and son of \b \cf4 \ATXht11622 Phlegyas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was condemned to eternal torment by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for having tried to rape \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11000]\par
\par
\b Jason\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10114 Aeson\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the king of \b \cf4 \ATXht10911 Iolcus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in Thessal
y, whose throne had been usurped by his half-brother \b \cf4 \ATXht11611 Pelias\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Jason was given to the care of the centaur \b \cf4 \ATXht10320 Chiron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and, when he was grown, returned to claim the kingdom that had been h
is father's. Pelias agreed to hand it over to him on the condition that he brought the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to Iolcus. This was now in the possession of King \b \cf4 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and guarded by a dragon that never slept. Jason undertook his famous expedition on the \b \i \cf4 \ATXht10133 Argo\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , taking with him the flower of Hellenic youth and returning with the Golden Fleece and his bri
de \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . In the meantime, Pelias had killed Aeson, and Jason used the magic arts of his wife to avenge him. Forced to leave Iolcus, the couple settled in \b \cf4 \ATXht10329 Corinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 where, ten years
later, Jason abandoned Medea for \b \cf4 \ATXht10331 Creusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , daughter of Creon, king of the city. There are differing accounts of the hero's end: some sources claim that he died of a broken heart after Medea killed his children out of re
venge, others that he was crushed beneath the hull of the \i Argo\i0 , where he was resting in the shade after he had regained Iolcus.\par
\par
[11001]\par
\par
\b Jocasta\par
\b0 Wife of King \b \cf4 \ATXht11203 Laius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , to whom she bore \b \cf4 \ATXht11503 Oedipus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Later, without recognizing her son and without him recognizing her, she married Oedipus and bore him several children. When she discovered the truth, she hang
ed herself in the palace of Thebes.\par
\par
[11002]\par
\par
\b Juno\par
\b0 Roman counterpart of the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11003]\par
\par
\b Jupiter\b0 (or \b Jove\b0 )\par
Roman name for \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Z
eus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11100]\par
\par
\b Kore\par
\b0 "The Maiden," an\b \b0 epithet by which \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was known, especially in Attica.\par
\par
[11200]\par
\par
\b Lacinium\par
\b0 Name of a f
amous promontory to the south of Croton in Italy that was visited by \b \cf4 \ATXht208 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 during his voyage from \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to the mouth of the Tiber.\par
\par
[11201]\par
\par
\b Ladon\par
1. \b0
Name of the monster sent to guard the golden apples of the Hesperides and killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht312 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b 2. \b0 River in Arcadia in whose waters \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 purified herself after being possessed b
y \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11202]\par
\par
\b Laestrygonians\b0 (or \b Lestrigons\b0 )\par
A savage race of cannibals encountered by \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 during his wanderings in the Mediterranean
.\par
\par
[11203]\par
\par
\b Laius\b0 \par
King of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the son of Labdacus and the great grandson of \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He abducted \b \cf4 \ATXht11612 Pelops\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's son, with whom he had fallen in love, earning the enmity and curse of the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who hated all those who spurned women. It may have been for this reason that he was fated to die at the hands of his son \b \cf4 \ATXht11503 Oedipus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11204]\par
\par
\b Laoco\f0 \fs24 \b0 ÷\f1 \fs20 \b n\par
\b0 Trojan priest of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He tried in vain to dissuade the Trojans from bringing within the walls of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 the famous wooden horse that the Greeks, pretending to leave the city, had left on the beach. In order for the city to meet its destiny, however, two terrible serpents emerged from the sea while he was sacrificing to \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and crushed him and two of his sons in their coils.\par
\par
[11205]\par
\par
\b Laomedon\par
\b0 King of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for whom \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 erected the wa
lls of the city. Since he refused to pay the god his due, he was forced to offer his daughter in sacrifice to a sea monster. \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 offered to save her in exchange for the horses of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 but, as Laomedon once again failed to keep his word, \b \cf4 \ATXht309 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 killed all his sons with the exception of \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and vowed to wage war on the city.\par
\par
[11206]\par
\par
\b L
eda\par
\par
\b0 Wife of King \b \cf4 \ATXht12020 Tyndareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht11914 Sparta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who united with her in the form of a swan.\par
\par
[11207]\par
\par
\b Lemnos\par
\b0 One of the largest islands in the Aegean, sacred to the god \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who fell there after he had been flung from \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 by his father \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . His main workshop was supposed to be located there. The \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 made a long stay on the island.\par
\par
[11208]\par
\par
\b Lerna\par
\b0 Plain in Argolis, close to the city of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Ar
gos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was famous for the \b \cf4 \ATXht302 Hydra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 killed by Heracles.\par
\par
[11209]\par
\par
\b Leto\par
\b0 Called Latona by the Romans, she was the Titaness who bore \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and
\b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 began to torment her even before she had given birth, forbidding any land to receive her at the moment of delivery. Wan
dering from place to place, Leto came at last to \b \cf4 \ATXht10403 Delos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , which at that time was a floating island called Ortygia that \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had raised from the depths of the sea for the occasion, an
d there gave birth to the divine twins. Zeus' wife did not renounce her vengeance and sent the giant \b \cf4 \ATXht12015 Tityus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to rape her, but he was killed by the arrows of Apollo and Artemis. Tired of so much persecution, Leto was un
able to bear the scorn and pride of \b \cf4 \ATXht11408 Niobe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and asked her children to avenge her.\par
\par
[11210]\par
\par
\b Lotus Eaters\b0 (or \b Lotophagi\b0 )\par
People who ate the fruit of the lotus tree and lived a life
of idleness, and who were visited by \b \cf4 \ATXht403 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on his wanderings.\par
\par
[11300]\par
\par
\b Maenads\par
\b0 Another name for the \b \cf4 \ATXht10200 Bacchantes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 or Bacchae.\par
\par
[11301]\par
\par
\b Maia\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10143 Atlas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was the oldest and fairest of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11626 Pleiades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She bore \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 his son \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in a cave on Mount Cyllene.\par
\par
[11302]\par
\par
\b Manto\par
\b0 Daughter of the soothsayer \b \cf4 \ATXht12012 Tiresias\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and herself a prophetess. She sent the women of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to honor
\b \cf4 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , provoking the scornful pride of \b \cf4 \ATXht11408 Niobe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11303]\par
\par
\b Marpessa\par
\b0 Princess of Aetolia, her love was sought by both the god \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the mortal \b \cf4 \ATXht10904 Idas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Marpessa chose Idas because she feared that Apollo would abandon her when she grew old.\par
\par
[11304]\par
\par
\b Mars\par
\b0 Ancient Roman divinity who was later identified wi
th \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11305]\par
\par
\b Marsyas\par
\b0 Satyr of Phrygia, defeated by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in a musical contest.\par
\par
[11306]\par
\par
\b Medea\par
\b0 Daughter of King \b \cf4 \ATXht10110 Aeδtes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Colchis, sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht10101 Absyrtus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and niece of the sorceress \b \cf4 \ATXht10324 Circe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She helped \b \cf4 \ATXht110 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 overcome the trials which
allowed him to win the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . They married at \b \cf4 \ATXht115 Drepane\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and she followed him to \b \cf4 \ATXht10911 Iolcus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . On the pretext of restoring his vigor and youth, s
he convinced the daughters of the usurper \b \cf4 \ATXht11611 Pelias\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to cut their father's body into pieces and cook it, and for this was forced to flee to \b \cf4 \ATXht10329 Corinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with her husband. Here, Jason left h
er for \b \cf4 \ATXht10331 Creusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , to whom Medea gave a robe that burst into flames as soon as she put it on. To render her vengeance even more pitiless, she killed the two children she had born to Jason. She then fled to Athens on a cha
riot drawn by winged serpents and became the wife of King Aegeus. She was unmasked by Theseus and went back to Colchis, where she ruled her father's kingdom.\par
\par
[11307]\par
\par
\b Medusa\par
\b0 One of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10706 Gorgons\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the only mortal of the three, and daughter of the marine divinities Phorcys and Ceto. She was originally a beautiful girl, but her hair was changed into serpents by \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who wanted to punish her for having give
n herself to \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in one of the temples dedicated to the goddess. Her appearance became so terrifying that anyone who looked her in the face was turned to stone. For this reason, \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , when he cut off her head, used a bronze shield in which the monster's image was reflected. Even when severed, Medusa's head retained its terrible powers so that Perseus was able to use it to vanquish \b \cf4 \ATXht11621 Phineus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 whe
n he tried to prevent him from marrying \b \cf4 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht10143 Atlas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , according to some versions, met with the same fate. After a series of adventures, Athena placed the Gorgon's head at the c
enter of her own shield.\par
\par
[11308]\par
\par
\b Melissa\par
\b0 Nymph said to have discovered honey, which she used to nurse the child \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 when he was being raised on Crete by the goat \b \cf4 \ATXht10123 Amal
thea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11309]\par
\par
\b Menelaus\par
\b0 Son of Atreus, King of \b \cf4 \ATXht11322 Mycenae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When he married \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 he was given the throne of Sparta by \b \cf4 \ATXht12020 Tyndareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It is his wife, abducted by \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the cause of the Trojan War, that earned him his fame. He fought with Paris and would have dealt him a mortal blow if \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had not carried him away wrapped in a cloud, and killed Deiphobus, the man Helen married after the death of Paris. After the city's fall he was reconciled with his wife and was the first to leave the shores of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with his ships. He reached his home only after eight years of wandering, but, from that moment on, led a tranquil existence in Sparta. There are several different accounts of his death, as of Helen's; according to some he was take
n to the \b \cf4 \ATXht10503 Elysian Fields\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and to others to Tauris where he had attempted to sacrifice \b \cf4 \ATXht10912 Iphigenia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11310]\par
\par
\b Mercury\par
\b0 The Roman deity identified with \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11311]\par
\par
\b Merope\par
\b0 Princess of Chios. She was raped by \b \cf4 \ATXht11508 Orion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was then blinded by her
father Oenopion with the aid of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11312]\par
\par
\b Metaneira\par
\b0 Wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht10310 Celeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , King of \b \cf4 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She took in \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 while she was wandering the earth in search of her daughter \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , abducted by \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was the mother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10405 Demopho÷n\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12016 Triptolemus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11313]\par
\par
\b Metis\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht11501 Oceanus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and personification of Wisdom. It was she who gave \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0
the drug that made \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 vomit her children and was his first wife. She conceived \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but since an oracle had predicted that the child born to her would be wiser and more powerfu
l than its father, Zeus swallowed Metis so that her daughter would not come into the world from her womb. In fact, Athena emerged from Zeus' head, fully armed and uttering a battle cry.\par
\par
[11314]\par
\par
\b Midas\par
\b0 King of Phrygia who
received the dangerous gift of the "golden touch" from \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11315]\par
\par
\b Minerva\par
\b0 Roman counterpart of the Greek goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11316]\par
\par
\b Minos\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10516 Europa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was King of Crete and, after his death, became judge of the dead in the \b \cf4 \ATXht12101 Underworld\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , out of benevolence, sent a beautiful bull to Crete to be sacrificed to him, Minos kept it for himself, offering the god an animal of lesser value. Poseidon took his revenge by driving the bull wild. It devastated the isla
nd until it was captured by \b \cf4 \ATXht307 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . This was the same bull for which Minos' wife Pasiphaδ conceived an unnatural passion. The \b \cf4 \ATXht11317 Minotaur\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was born from their union. Since one of Minos
' children, Androgeus, had been killed in Athens during the Panathenaea, Minos demanded that the city send a tribute every nine years, consisting of seven young women and seven young men who were to take part in contests with bulls before being sacrifice
d to the Minotaur. One of them was \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who killed the monster and carried off Princess \b \cf4 \ATXht10137 Ariadne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11317]\par
\par
\b Minotaur\par
\b0 A monstrous creature, half m
an and half bull, born from the union of Pasiphaδ, the wife of King \b \cf4 \ATXht11316 Minos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Crete, with a bull sent to the island by \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It lived in the labyrinth of the palace where, with the
assistance of \b \cf4 \ATXht10137 Ariadne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , it was tracked down and killed by the hero \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11318]\par
\par
\b Misenus\par
\b0 Companion of \b \cf4 \ATXht215 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0
and trumpeter of the Trojan expedition, he was dragged from a rock by \b \cf4 \ATXht12017 Triton\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , jealous of the skill with which the young man blew a conch. He was buried in Campania, on a promontory that took his name.\par
\par
[1131
9]\par
\par
\b Mnemosyne\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was considered the goddess of memory. She bore \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 nine daughters, the \b \cf4 \ATXht11321 Muses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11320]\par
\par
\b Moerae\b0 (or \b Moirai\b0 )\par
Daughters of Night, or of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Themis, they were the three goddesses, or Fates, who watched over the destiny of h
uman beings and numbered the days of their lives. Clotho spun the thread of life, Lachesis untangled it, and Atropos cut it at the moment of death. Not even Zeus could influence their decisions. The Romans called them the Parcae.\par
\par
[11321]\par
\par
\b Muses\par
\b0 The nine daughters of Zeus and \b \cf4 \ATXht11319 Mnemosyne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who presided over the arts and sciences. For this reason, they were linked to \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and resided on Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht11607 Parnassus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , not far from the sanctuary of \b \cf4 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Clio was the muse of history, Euterpe of lyric poetry, Thalia of comedy, Melpomene of tragedy, Terpsichore of dance, Erato of heroic poetry and mi
me, Polyhymnia of sacred song and oratory, Urania of astronomy, and Calliope of epic poetry and eloquence.\par
\par
[11322]\par
\par
\b Mycenae\par
\b0 City in Argolis, to the northwest of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , which reached th
e peak of its power during the reign of \b \cf4 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Its walls were said to have been built by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11323]\par
\par
\b Myrrha\par
\b0 Another name for Smyrna,
the daughter of King Cinyras to whom she bore \b \cf4 \ATXht10107 Adonis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was turned into the myrtle tree from which myrrh is produced.\par
\par
[11400]\par
\par
\b Naiads\par
\b0 Nymphs of springs, rivers, lakes, fountains, an
d waterfalls. They carried off and kept \b \cf4 \ATXht104 Hylas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the young man loved by Heracles.\par
\par
[11401]\par
\par
\b Nauplius\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and King of Euboea. To avenge himself f
or the death of his son, killed beneath the walls of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he waited for the return of the Greek fleet and caused it to founder by lighting fires along a piece of coast traversed by dangerous currents and strewn with
rocks.\par
\par
[11402]\par
\par
\b Nausicaa\par
\b0 Daughter of King \b \cf4 \ATXht10118 Alcinous\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Queen Arete of the \b \cf4 \ATXht413 Phaeacians\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was the first person to meet Ulysses when he was washed up
on the shore of Corcyra and took him to her father's court.\par
\par
[11403]\par
\par
\b Naxos\par
\b0 Island in the Aegean Sea, the largest of the Cyclades, linked to the story of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10137 A
riadne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11404]\par
\par
\b Nemea\par
\b0 Valley on the northern borders of Argolis where Heracles killed the ferocious \b \cf4 \ATXht301 lion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The Nemean festivals, similar to the Olympic Games, were held
there every two years.\par
\par
[11405]\par
\par
\b Nemesis\par
\b0 Daughter of Night and considered, in some traditions, to be the mother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . To escape the attentions of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Nemesis assumed various forms until, having taken the shape of a marsh bird, she was overtaken by \b \cf4 \ATXht1004 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in the form of a swan. She also personified "Divine Vengeance" and as such was linked with the Erinyes.\par
\par
[11406]\par
\par
\b Nereids\par
\b0 The fifty daughters of the god \b \cf4 \ATXht11407 Nereus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , sea nymphs of the Mediterranean as distinct from the \b \cf4 \ATXht11400 Naiads\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who were nymphs of fresh waters, and th
e \b \cf4 \ATXht11500 Oceanids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , nymphs of the Ocean. The most famous of the Nereids was \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the mother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Offended by \b \cf4 \ATXht10307 Cassiopeia
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the Nereids were avenged by \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who demanded the sacrifice of \b \cf4 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11407]\par
\par
\b Nereus\par
\b0 The "Old Man of the Sea," son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Pontus, he was a male personification of the sea. His sister and wife Doris bore him fifty daughters, the \b \cf4 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Like other marine divinities, he had the power to see into the
future and to take on different forms.\par
\par
[11408]\par
\par
\b Niobe\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht12002 Tantalus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and wife of Amphion, King of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was the mother of numerous chil
dren and consequently considered herself superior to \b \cf4 \ATXht11209 Leto\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had only borne two children. She was severely punished for her pride and then turned to stone.\par
\par
[11409]\par
\par
\b Notus\par
\b0 The south w
ind, son of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titan\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Astraeus and Eos (the Dawn).\par
\par
[11410]\par
\par
\b Nymphs\par
\b0 Secondary female divinities of classical mythology who populated every part of the natural world and were divided int
o various classes. The \b \cf4 \ATXht11500 Oceanids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 were sea nymphs. The \b \cf4 \ATXht11400 Naiads\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 were nymphs of fresh water and the Oreads nymphs of the mountains. The
nymphs of trees were called Dryads and Hamadryads. There were other sorts of nymphs associated with specific places, such as the Nysiads and the Lemniae.\par
\par
[11500]\par
\par
\b Oceanids\par
\b0 The nymphs who were daughters of \b \cf4 \ATXht11501 Oceanus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . They had power over marine waters, with the exception of the Mediterranean which was presided over by the \b \cf4 \ATXht11406 Nereids\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11501]\par
\par
\b Oceanus\b0 (or \b Ocean\b0 )\par
Deity
and personification of the endlessly flowing river of water that surrounded the earth, which was conceived as a circular flat surface. The sun and stars rose from the Ocean and set in it. As geographical knowledge progressed the term was used to refer to
the waters that bordered the known world, as opposed to those of the Mediterranean.\par
\par
[11502]\par
\par
\b Odysseus\par
\b0 "The Hated," Greek name of \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11503]\par
\par
\b Oedipus
\par
\b0 The son of King \b \cf4 \ATXht11203 Laius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Queen \b \cf4 \ATXht11001 Jocasta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he is the hero of numerous legends that have become mixed up and superimposed. At the b
ase of them all, however, lies the story of his having murdered his father and married his mother. The most famous account of his tragic fate is to be found in Sophocles's \i Oedipus\b \cf4 \ATXht1064 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Rex\i0 .\par
\par
[11504]\par
\par
\b Ogygia\par
\b0 The island of the nymph \b \cf4 \ATXht10304 Calypso\ATXht412 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who rescued the shipwrecked \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The authors locate it in the Western Mediterranean, perhaps at what is now the
peninsula of Ceuta.\par
\par
[11505]\par
\par
\b Olympia\par
\b0 Plain in Elis watered by the river \b \cf4 \ATXht10122 Alpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 where an oracle of the gods \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was venerated. \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had an important temple there as well. There was never a real city of this name, but its universal fame derives from the group of sacred buildings linked to the celebration of the pan-Hellenic
Olympic Games every four years from 776 BC onward.\par
\par
[11506]\par
\par
\b Olympians\par
\b0 The twelve major \b \cf4 \ATXht30 deities\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , all linked to the stock of Zeus. The
y were: Zeus himself, Poseidon, Apollo, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, and Artemis.\par
\par
[11507]\par
\par
\b Olympus\par
\b0 Mountain chain separating Macedonia from Thessaly: more specifically the eastern pa
rt, whose tallest and eternally snow-covered peak was considered the residence of the divine race of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11508]\par
\par
\b Orion\par
\b0 Gigantic and mythical hunter of Boeotia, killed by an arrow from
\b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 even though she loved him. He became a constellation.\par
\par
[11509]\par
\par
\b Orpheus\par
\b0 Considered the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the Muse Calliope, an unsurpassable poet an
d singer. Apollo made him the gift of the lyre and the \b \cf4 \ATXht11321 Muses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 taught him to play it. He lived in Thrace at the time of the \b \cf4 \ATXht101 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and accompanied them on their expedition. He desce
nded into Hades to seek his wife \b \cf4 \ATXht10518 Eurydice\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and through his art managed to bring her back to the world of the living. His impatience ruined everything in the end. His desperation over the definitive loss of Eurydice mad
e him adopt a contemptuous and offensive attitude toward the women of Thrace who, in the end, exasperated and caught up in the Bacchic frenzy, tore him to pieces.\par
\par
[11510]\par
\par
\b Orthrus\par
\b0 The two headed dog of \b \cf4 \ATXht310 G
eryon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , killed by Heracles.\par
\par
[11511]\par
\par
\b Ortygia\par
1. \b0 The old name of the island of Delos on which \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 were born. Its name derive
d from \i ortyx\i0 , or quail, because it was said that the goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht10140 Asteria\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (another name for the place) changed into a quail to escape the lust of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 before falling into the sea and
turning into an island. \b 2. \b0 Small island off Syracuse on which rises the spring that \b \cf4 \ATXht10132 Arethusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 became in order to escape the love of the river god \b \cf4 \ATXht10122 Alpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11512]
\par
\par
\b Othrys\par
\b0 Mountain in Thessaly from which the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 challenged the \b \cf4 \ATXht11506 Olympians\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 during the \b \cf4 \ATXht1001 Titanomachia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11600]
\par
\par
\b Palinurus\par
\b0 Pilot of \b \cf4 \ATXht214 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' ship who fell into the water off the Campanian promontory that took his name.\par
\par
[11601]\par
\par
\b Palladium\par
\b0 The effigy of \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 kept in \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Its name may derive from \b \cf4 \ATXht11602 Pallas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Athena's playmate whom she killed by mistake.\par
\par
[11602]\par
\par
\b Pallas\par
1. \b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht12017 Triton\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's playmate. One day, while the two girls were pretending to fight a duel, she was accidentally killed by the goddess who, in despair at her loss, reproduced her features in th
e \b \cf4 \ATXht11601 Palladium\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b 2. \b0 One of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , whom Athena flayed, using his skin as a covering.\par
\par
[11603]\par
\par
\b Pan\par
\b0 Greek pastoral deity, son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the daughter of King Dryops (or \b \cf4 \ATXht11615 Penelope\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , in another version). The god of pastures, flocks, herds, and wild beasts, he was considered the inventor of the syrinx, or panpipe, which he use
d to accompany the dances of the nymphs. Half man, half goat, he so frightened his mother at birth that she abandoned him. His sudden appearance caused panic in mortals. In Rome, he was identified with Faunus.\par
\par
[11604]\par
\par
\b Panathenaea
\par
\b0 One of the main festivals in the Athenian sacred calendar. The Little Panathenaea were held every year and the Great Panathenaea every four years. The climax of the festival was the solemn procession that wound its way through the city and up t
o the Acropolis, where an embroidered \i peplos\i0 was offered to the statue of \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Games and gymnastic contests were held at the same time as the procession.\par
\par
[11605]\par
\par
\b Pandora\par
\b0 The fir
st woman and the ancestor of the female of the human species, created by \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on the instructions of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11606]\par
\par
\b Paris\par
\b0 Second-born son of King \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and his wife Hecuba. Since it was predicted at his birth that he would be the cause of the city's destruction, he was exposed on the slopes of Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht10903 Id
a\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . But he was found by a shepherd who brought him up as his son. It was during this time that he acted as judge in the beauty contest between \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Afterward, he was recognized by his father through his sister \b \cf4 \ATXht10306 Cassandra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's powers of divination and accepted at court. From there he went to Sparta to abduct \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the woman promised him by Aphrodite. The war that followed brought the old prophecy true, for Troy was burned and destroyed as a result of Helen's abduction. He was killed by Philoctetes, the shield bearer of \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who shot him with one of the hero's arrows soaked in the blood of the \b \cf4 \ATXht302 Lernaean Hydra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11607]\par
\par
\b Parnassus\par
\b0 Chain of mountains running in a southeast direction through Doris and
Phocis as far as the Gulf of \b \cf4 \ATXht10329 Corinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The mountain, on whose slopes stands the sanctuary of the oracle of \b \cf4 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , was sacred to \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the \b \cf4 \ATXht11321 Muses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11608]\par
\par
\b Paphos\par
1. \b0 City on the western coast of the island of Cyprus, one of the main centers of the cult of \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who landed on the island immed
iately after her birth. \b 2. \b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht11637 Pygmalion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10323 Cinyras\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11609]\par
\par
\b Pegasus\par
\b0 Winged horse born, along with Chrysaor, from the severed
head of \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Later he was captured by \b \cf4 \ATXht10203 Bellerophon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , to whom \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 gave the bit, previou
sly unknown to the Greeks.\par
\par
[11610]\par
\par
\b Peleus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10108 Aeacus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the ruler of Aegina. After killing his half-brother, Peleus fled to Thessaly, but killed King Eurytion by accident. He then to
ok refuge in Iolcus and joined the \b \cf4 \ATXht1013 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in their quest for the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He married the Nereid \b \cf4 \ATXht12011 Thetis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , granted to him by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 because none of the gods would unite with her because of the prophecy that she would be the mother of a son whose power would be greater than his father's. That son, whom Thetis bore to Peleus, was \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11611]\par
\par
\b Pelias\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the half-brother of Aeson from whom he wrested the throne of Iolcus. When his nephew \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 turned u
p to claim his rights, Pelias sent him to \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to bring back the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was killed by his daughters, who were tricked by \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in
to believing that they could restore his youth by cutting him into pieces and boiling him in a cauldron.\par
\par
[11612]\par
\par
\b Pelops\par
\b0 The son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12002 Tantalus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht11408 Niobe
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was served as a dish at the banquet held by his father for the gods. Restored to life by them, he emigrated to the Peloponnesus (to which he gave the name) where he established the first Olympic Games, later revived by \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in his honor.\par
\par
[11613]\par
\par
\b Penates\par
\b0 For the Romans, these were the household gods of the family and the state. They are sometimes referred to in Latin sources as the Lares.\par
\par
[11614]\par
\par
\b Peneius\par
\b0 River of Elis, in the Peloponnesus. \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 used its waters and those of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10122 Alpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to clean the \b \cf4 \ATXht305 Augean \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Stables.\par
\par
[11615]\par
\par
\b Penelope\par
\b0 Originally from \b \cf4 \ATXht11914 Sparta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she was \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' wife and waited ten years for his return. Pestered by suitors, she was able to keep them at b
ay with the excuse that she wanted to finish weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes, before making her choice. The work was never-ending because Penelope, in the secret hope that her husband would one day return to \b \cf4 \ATXht414 Ithaca\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , at night unraveled everything that she had woven during the day.\par
\par
[11616]\par
\par
\b Pentheus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10116 Agave\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Aechion, who was one of the Sparti born from the teeth of the dragon kill
ed by \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . As his mother was the sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht11906 Semele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Pentheus was \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' cousin, but opposed his cult. It was this that led to his tragic deat
h.\par
\par
[11617]\par
\par
\b Persephone\par
\b0 Called Kore in Arcadia and Proserpina by the Romans, she was the daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When she was abducted by \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , her mother set out in a desperate search for her. Eventually she was allowed to return, though only for part of the year.\par
\par
[11618]\par
\par
\b Perseus\par
\b0 Hero of Argolis, the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Danaδ. His mother was visited by Zeus in the form of a shower of gold that poured through the roof of the underground chamber - or inaccessible tower - in which her father Acrisius had imprisoned her, after it was predicted that she would be
ar a son who would be the cause of his death. Acrisius got rid of mother and child by shutting them in a chest and throwing it in the open sea. The chest floated to the island of Seriphos, where they were taken in by the tyrant Polydectes. It was he who
sent Perseus to fetch the head of \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the Gorgon who turned anyone whose gaze fell on her into stone. Perseus killed her by showing her her reflection in a polished bronze shield, given to him by \b \cf4 \ATXht6 A
thena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . On his way back from this adventure, he saved \b \cf4 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 from the vengeance of \b \cf4 \ATXht1053 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and then returned to \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . As th
e oracle had foretold, he accidentally killed his grandfather Acrisius and for this reason exchanged the kingdom of Argos for that of his cousin, who ruled over \b \cf4 \ATXht12013 Tiryns\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was also said to have founded \b \cf4 \ATXht11322 Mycenae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11619]\par
\par
\b Phaeacians\par
\b0 The mythical people of the island of Scherie, identified with Corcyra (Corfu), ruled by King \b \cf4 \ATXht10118 Alcinous\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Queen Arete. They welcomed
\b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on the last stage of his voyage, and the marriage of \b \cf4 \ATXht11000 Jason\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was celebrated on their island.\par
\par
[11620]\par
\par
\b Pha
δthon\b0 (or \b Phaeton\b0 )\par
Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the \b \cf4 \ATXht11500 Oceanid\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Clymene, he asked for permission to drive his father's chariot across the sky. Lacking in skill, and frightened by
the terrible figures of the Zodiac, he lost control of the chariot and threatened to set fire to heaven and earth. \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was forced to bring him down with a thunderbolt and he fell into the river \b \cf4 \ATXht10510 Eridan
us\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11621]\par
\par
\b Phineus\par
1. \b0 King of \b \cf4 \ATXht106 Salmydessos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in Thrace, he was deprived of his sight by the gods for having blinded his children following a false charge leveled against
them by their stepmother, Idea. He became a famous soothsayer, but was persecuted by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10803 Harpies\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for having revealed the thoughts of the gods to humans. He was freed from the monsters by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10134 Argona
uts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b 2. \b0 Uncle and betrothed of \b \cf4 \ATXht10128 Andromeda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , turned into stone by the sight of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11307 Medusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's head when it was shown to him by \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11622]\par
\par
\b Phlegyas\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht10917 Ixion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Coronis. To get his revenge on \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had seduced
and killed his daughter, he set fire to the god's temple at Delphi.\par
\par
[11623]\par
\b \par
Phobos\par
\b0 Fright, god of fear, son of \b \cf4 \ATXht4 Ares\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11624]
\par
\par
\b Phoebus\par
\b0 Epithet of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The name (which means the "Brilliant") was also used for \b \cf4 \ATXht10810 Helios\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11625]\par
\par
\b Pillars of Hercules\par
\b0 The pillar
s, called Calpe and Abyla, were set on the opposite shores of the Strait of Gibraltar by \b \cf4 \ATXht310 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and are usually referred to by the Latin version of his name, Hercules. They marked the westernmost edge of the world.
\par
\par
[11626]\par
\par
\b Pleiades\par
\b0 Daughters of \b \cf4 \ATXht10143 Atlas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and sisters of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10822 Hyades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , they formed the retinue of \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Pursued by the
hunter \b \cf4 \ATXht11508 Orion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , they asked \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to be turned into doves. They then flew into the sky to form the constellation that bears their name.\par
\par
[11627]\par
\par
\b Pluto\par
1. \b0
Ninth daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 (or Atlas) who bore \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' son, \b \cf4 \ATXht12002 Tantalus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b 2. \b0 An attribute of the god \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ("he who
gives wealth," perhaps in reference to the riches hidden in the earth), the name was then used by the Romans to refer to the king of the Infernal Regions.\par
\par
[11628]\par
\par
\b Plutus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10901 Iasion\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , conceived on Crete in a thrice-plowed field. He was the god of wealth and abundance.\par
\par
[11629]\par
\b \par
Pollux\par
\b0 One of the Dioscuri, the brother of Castor whose adventures he shared. Hi
s sisters were \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10326 Clytemnestra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He took part in the expedition of the \b \cf4 \ATXht105 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , distinguishing himself as an unbeatable wrestler.\par
\par
[11630]\par
\par
\b Polydorus\par
\b0 The youngest son of \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 Priam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was about to fall, he was sent to the Thracians so that he might survive but was killed by them. His \b \cf4 \ATXht202 tomb\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was
discovered accidentally by Aeneas, who paid him the honors due to him.\par
\par
[11631]\par
\par
\b Polyphemus\par
\b0 The \b \cf4 \ATXht404 Cyclops\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 blinded by \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . This earned him the hatred
of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Polyphemus' father, who used every means to hinder his return to his homeland. The Cyclops, now blind, was glimpsed by \b \cf4 \ATXht209 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 during his voyage to Italy. He chose to avoid
him and sail on.\par
\par
[11632]\par
\par
\b Porphyrion\par
\b0 One of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who fought against the \b \cf4 \ATXht11506 Olympians\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 confused him by insp
iring him with a sudden passion for \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and then killed him with the aid of \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11633]\par
\par
\b Priam\par
\b0 The celebrated king of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who lived at the time of the Achaean siege. He was the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht11205 Laomedon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10816 Hesione\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and the only male left alive by \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 when his father refused to pay the hero for his services. He had fifty daughters and fifty sons, born to his concubines and his wife Hecuba. Priam's sons included \b \cf4 \ATXht10807 Hector\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10809 Helenus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Deiphobus, his daughters \b \cf4 \ATXht10331 Creusa\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the prophetess \b \cf4 \ATXht10306 Cassandra\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When Troy fell, he was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht11639 Pyrrhus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , on the altar of the temple of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11634]\par
\par
\b Priapus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . To punish his mother for her flirtatiousness, \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 gave Priapus a monstrous appearance, with the markedly phallic characteristics for which he is famous. He was considered a divinity of f
ertility.\par
\par
[11635]\par
\par
\b Proetus\par
\b0 King of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and father of Lysippe, Iphion, and Iphianissa who, as a consequence of their having treated the cult of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with contempt, were driven mad along with all the other women in the kingdom. Another tradition attributes their madness to \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11636]\par
\par
\b Prometheus\par
\b0 Son of the Titan Iapetus and the nym
ph Clymene, brother of \b \cf4 \ATXht10143 Atlas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10508 Epimetheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was linked to the myth of the creation of humanity. He was continually in conflict with \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ever s
ince the time when, sharing out the parts of a bull that had been sacrificed between the mortals and immortals, he had prepared two apparently identical bags out of the animal's hide, but with one containing only the bones covered by a layer of fat and t
he other the best pieces of meat, hidden so that they could not be seen. When he presented the bags to Zeus, the god fell into the trap and chose the less succulent part for the gods. Angered, he took his revenge on men by depriving them of fire, but Pro
metheus succeeded in smuggling it down to the earth. Men were punished yet again by means of \b \cf4 \ATXht11605 Pandora\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Prometheus himself was chained by \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to one of the peaks of Mount Caucasus
, and each day an eagle came down to devour his liver, which grew back again during the night. After thirteen generations he was set free by \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who killed the eagle.\par
\par
[11637]\par
\par
\b Pygmalion
\par
\b0 King of Cyprus, he fell in love with an ivory statue of \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11638]\par
\par
\b Pylos\par
\b0 Name of three cities in the Peloponnesus, the most famous of which was Pylos of Messenia.\par
\par
[11639]\par
\par
\b Pyrrhus\par
\b0 Better known to the Greeks by the name of Neoptolemus, he was the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and Deidamia, princess of the island of Skyros. After his father's death he was summoned to f
ight at \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , where he distinguished himself by his heroism and bravery. He was one of the warriors hidden in the belly of the wooden horse brought inside the walls of the city and he killed King \b \cf4 \ATXht11633 P
riam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . In the division of the spoils, he was assigned \b \cf4 \ATXht10807 Hector\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's wife \b \cf4 \ATXht10127 Andromache\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He married her, but then left her for \b \cf4 \ATXht10814 Hermione\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ,
the daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11309 Menelaus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He died at the hands of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had not forgiven him for killing Priam on the altar of his temple.\par
\par
[11640]\par
\par
\b Pythia\par
\b0 The name given to the priestesses of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 at \b \cf4 \ATXht10404 Delphi\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Intoxicated by the fumes that emerged from a cleft in the ground, the Pythia delivered
the oracles of the god while seated on a bronze tripod.\par
\par
[11641]\par
\par
\b Python\par
\b0 Serpent that lived in the caves of Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht11607 Parnassus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , born from the mud there. It was slain by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apo
llo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who founded the Pythian Games in its memory.\par
\par
[11800]\par
\par
\b Rhea\par
\b0 Extremely ancient Greek goddess linked to the worship of the earth. She was considered the daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the wife of \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , to whom she bore the \b \cf4 \ATXht30 main deities\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of \b \cf4 \ATXht11507 Olympus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 : Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Ha
des, Poseidon, and Zeus. Since Cronus had the habit of swallowing all his children as soon as they were born out of fear that one of them would overthrow him, Rhea gave birth to the last in hiding, on Crete, and presented Cronus with a stone wrapped in c
loth to swallow. When the time came, Zeus deposed his father and made him vomit up his brothers and sisters.\par
\par
[11900]\par
\par
\b Samos\par
\b0 Island in the Aegean linked to the cult of \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had a large
and ancient sanctuary there. It was here that the goddess celebrated her secret marriage with \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , although other traditions held that it took place on Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht10325 Cithaeron\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 or Mount \b \cf4 \ATXht10903 Ida\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in Troas.\par
\par
[11901]\par
\par
\b Samothrace\par
\b0 Island in the northern Aegean Sea, not far from the coast of Thrace, celebrated for the cult of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10300 Cabiri\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and for the m
ysteries that were, along with those of \b \cf4 \ATXht10502 Eleusis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the most important of the Greek world.\par
\par
[11902]\par
\par
\b Satyr\par
\b0 Another name for the \b \cf4 \ATXht11908 Sileni\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , creatures half
man and half goat who were the attendants of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 or Bacchus.\par
\par
[11903]\par
\par
\b Scylla and Charybdis\par
\b0 Two rocks set between the Italian peninsula and Sicily, facing onto the Strait of Messina,
famous since ancient times for the danger that they represented to navigation and considered the homes of two terrible monsters called by those names. Scylla, who lived on the rock closest to Reggio Calabria, had twelve feet and six long necks bearing th
e same number of heads. She had three rows of teeth in each mouth and barked like a dog. Charybdis, on the Sicilian coast, lurked invisibly beneath a fig tree and swallowed the waters of the strait three times a day, regurgitating them subsequently into
the sea.\par
\par
[11904]\par
\par
\b Segesta\par
\b0 Sicilian city linked to the wanderings of \b \cf4 \ATXht213 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , whom the Romans held to be its founder. The name derived from Acesta, a Trojan princess sent to that place to
escape the monsters that infested Troas.\par
\par
[11905]\par
\par
\b Selene\par
\b0 Goddess of the Moon, sister of Eos (the Dawn) and Helios (the Sun). She was often identified with \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , just as \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was identified with the Sun.\par
\par
[11906]\par
\par
\b Semele\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10802 Harmonia\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and sister of \b \cf4 \ATXht10116 Agave\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10908 Ino\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and Autonoδ. She was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and bore him \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but was consumed by his splendor.\par
\par
[11907]\par
\par
\b Sibyl\par
\b0 The name of the first and most ancient priestess of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , which was then used to indicate the women with prophetic powers who interpreted his oracles. Some sources say there were four, others ten. The most famous wa
s the \b \cf4 \ATXht214 Cumaean\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \b \cf4 \ATXht214 Sibyl\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who lived in Campania.\par
\par
[11908]\par
\par
\b Sileni\par
\b0 Also known as satyrs, these were beings with pointed ears, curly hair, a snub nose, horns o
n their foreheads, and a horse's tail who, along with the \b \cf4 \ATXht10200 Bacchantes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , were the attendants of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[11909]\par
\par
\b Silenus\par
\b0 One of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionys
us\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' attendants, known in general as Sileni or satyrs, he was the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12 Hermes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the tutor of Dionysus.\par
\par
[11910]\par
\par
\b Sirens\par
\b0 Marine creatures, said by some to number two, by
others three. They were considered the daughters of Phorcys, a divinity of the sea, or of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11321 Muses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Terpsichore, Melpomene, and Calliope. They were represented as creatures with the bodies of women and the heads of b
irds, with powerful talons, resembling the \b \cf4 \ATXht10803 Harpies\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . They lived on an island in the Mediterranean and charmed sailors with their song, causing their ships to crash on the rocks. \b \cf4 \ATXht409 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was able to hear them without losing his ship. When the \b \i \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 approached their coasts on its return voyage from \b \cf4 \ATXht10327 Colchis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the Sirens tried to enchant the \b \cf4 \ATXht114 A
rgonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but their song was easily overcome by \b \cf4 \ATXht11509 Orpheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Humiliated, they threw themselves into the sea and were turned into rocks.\par
\par
[11911]\par
\par
\b Sisyphus\par
\b0 Mythical founder
and king of \b \cf4 \ATXht10329 Corinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was so cunning that he managed to keep death at bay. For this reason he was, in the end, subjected to a torment that has become proverbial. He was condemned to roll a huge stone up the side of
a mountain, only to have it roll down again on nearing the top, so that he was obliged to repeat his effort for eternity.\par
\par
[11912]\par
\par
\b Smyrna \b0 (or \b Myrrha\b0 )\par
The daughter of King \b \cf4 \ATXht10323 Cinyras\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She had an incestuous relationship with her father and gave birth to \b \cf4 \ATXht10107 Adonis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was turned into the myrtle tree from which myrrh is produced.\par
\par
[11913]\par
\par
\b Sopore\par
\b0 The Roman god of sleep.
\par
\par
[11914]\par
\par
\b Sparta\par
\b0 City in the Peloponnesus, called Lacedaemon by the Greeks and linked chiefly to the myth of the beautiful \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was here that she was born daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and then ran away with \b \cf4 \ATXht11606 Paris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , starting the Trojan war. The city venerated \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , as well as the local heroes
\b \cf4 \ATXht10308 Castor\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11629 Pollux\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , known as the Dioscuri.\par
\par
[11915]\par
\par
\b Sphinx, the\b0 \par
A female monster with the head and breasts of a woman, the feet and tail of a lion,
and the wings of a bird of prey, she was the daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht10500 Echidna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the dog \b \cf4 \ATXht11510 Orthrus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Sent by Hera to \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to punish King \b \cf4 \ATXht11203 Laius\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for his passion for the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht11612 Pelops\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the Sphinx terrorized the country, devouring human beings who were unable to answer her riddles. The most celebrated of these was "What goes on four feet, o
n two feet, and three, but the more feet it goes on the weaker it be?" It was solved by \b \cf4 \ATXht11503 Oedipus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who responded "man" (because man, as an infant, crawls on all fours, then walks upright on two feet, and finally support
s himself with a staff in old age). In despair at her defeat, the Sphinx killed herself by jumping from the rock on which she stood.\par
\par
[11916]\par
\par
\b Strophades\par
\b0 Greek islands in the Ionian sea south of Zacynthus (Zante). It was h
ere that the \b \cf4 \ATXht10803 Harpies\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 found refuge after they had been driven from Thrace by the \b \cf4 \ATXht106 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht205 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 met them here on his voyage to Italy.\par
\par
[11917]\par
\par
\b Stymphalus\par
\b0 City in northeastern Arcadia on the shore of the river or marsh in which the birds hunted by \b \cf4 \ATXht306 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 lived.\par
\par
[11918]\par
\par
\b Symplegades\par
\b0 Mythological n
ame for two rocky islands, also known as the \b \cf4 \ATXht107 Cyanean Rocks\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , set at the mouth of the Thracian Bosphorus. According to legend they floated on the water and clashed together, crushing any ship that attempted to pass betwee
n them.\par
\par
[12000]\par
\par
\b Taenarum\par
\b0 Promontory of Laconia (now called Mani) that forms the southernmost tip of the Peloponnesus. It was the location of an underground passage leading to \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 th
at Heracles took on his way to capture \b \cf4 \ATXht312 Cerberus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[12001]\par
\par
\b Talus\b0 (or \b Talos\b0 )\par
Tutelary deity and guardian of the island of \b \cf4 \ATXht117 Crete\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was a living s
tatue of bronze or brass, often known as the Man of Brass, made by \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was killed by \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who used her magic arts to break a vein in his leg, his only vulnerable point.
\par
\par
[12002]\par
\par
\b Tantalus\par
\b0 The extremely rich king of Sipylos, near \b \cf4 \ATXht11912 Smyrna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he is supposed to have been the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the nymph \b \cf4 \ATXht11627 Pluto\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , as well as the husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht10409 Dione\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and father of \b \cf4 \ATXht11408 Niobe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11612 Pelops\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Cast into the \b \cf4 \ATXht12101 Underworld\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for
having offended the gods by offering the young Pelops to them as a dish, he was condemned to eternal hunger and thirst or, according to other authors, placed under an enormous stone, always teetering on the brink of falling.\par
\par
[12003]\par
\par
\b Tartarus\par
\b0 Another name for \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the kingdom of the dead.\par
\par
[12004]\par
\par
\b Taygete\b0 (or \b Taygeta\b0 )\par
One of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11626 Pleiades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who bore \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 ' son Lacedaemon. It was from him the Lacedaemonians or Spartans took their name.\par
\par
[12005]\par
\par
\b Telemachus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht12100 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11615 Penelope\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . When his father left for the Trojan War, Telemachus had just been born. Then, while Ulysses was kept far away from \b \cf4 \ATXht10916 Ithaca\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 by the hatred of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Telemachus kept his mother's
suitors at bay and set off to find out what had happened to his father. When \b \cf4 \ATXht414 Ulysses \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 returned home, his son helped him to drive away the arrogant suitors.\par
\par
[12006]\par
\par
\b Thebes\par
\b0 The capital of
Boeotia, it was said to have been founded by \b \cf4 \ATXht10301 Cadmus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was here that, among others, the god \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and the soothsayer \b \cf4 \ATXht12012 Tiresias\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 were born. The tragic destinies of \b \cf4 \ATXht11906 Semele\b0 \cf0 \ATXht1021 ,\ATXht0 \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Pentheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht11408 Niobe\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and her children, and \b \cf4 \ATXht11503
Oedipus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 all unfolded against the background of Thebes.\par
\par
[12007]\par
\par
\b Themis\par
\b0 Daughter of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , she took care of \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 when he was born on Crete and then became his wife. She bore him numerous divinities, including the \b \cf4 \ATXht10820 Horae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11320 Moerae\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[12008]\par
\par
\b Themis
cyra\par
\b0 The city of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10124 Amazons\ATXht108 \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on the banks of the river Thermodon in Asia Minor. It was visited by the \b \cf4 \ATXht108 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht309 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .
\par
\par
[12009]\par
\par
\b Theophane\par
\b0 Macedonian princess whom \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 abducted from her numerous suitors. He carried her to an unknown island and, to conceal her from her pursuers, turned her into a ewe whil
e he assumed the shape of a ram. In these forms, they celebrated their marriage, and \b \cf4 \ATXht12009 Theophane\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 gave birth to the ram with the \b \cf4 \ATXht10705 Golden Fleece\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[12010]\par
\par
\b Theseu
s\par
\b0 Attic hero, son of King Aegeus of Athens. He was born at Troezen where, for a night, Aegeus had lain with Aethra, Theseus' mother. At the age of sixteen, he set off on foot for Athens and, on his way, cleared the region of the Strait of \b \cf4 \ATXht10329 Corinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of monsters and brigands. Recognized by his father and proclaimed his heir, he foiled an attack by the sorceress \b \cf4 \ATXht11306 Medea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who had married his father, and then killed the fierce \b \cf4 \ATXht307 Cretan bull\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 that Heracles had left to run free on the plain of Marathon. His most famous exploit was the killing of the \b \cf4 \ATXht11317 Minotaur\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with the help of \b \cf4 \ATXht10137 Ariadne\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . In subsequent adventures, whose chronological sequence is extremely uncertain, he abducted a series of divine female figures or heroines. One of these was \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , whom Theseus carried off from \b \cf4 \ATXht11914 Spar
ta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 with the aid of his friend Peirithous. This prompted \b \cf4 \ATXht10308 Castor\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht11629 Pollux\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the victim's brothers, to wage war on Athens. To reward Peirithous, who had decided to a
bduct \b \cf4 \ATXht11617 Persephone\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he descended into the kingdom of the dead, but was kept prisoner by \b \cf4 \ATXht1 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was unable to get out until rescued by \b \cf4 \ATXht312 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . A re
volt forced him to flee Athens and take refuge on Skyros, where he was treacherously thrown into the sea from a cliff.\par
\par
[12011]\par
\par
\b Thetis\par
\b0 One of the most powerful divinities of Greek mythology, the daughter of the marine god
\b \cf4 \ATXht11407 Nereus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . She was brought up by \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and courted by \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , but since an oracle foretold that her son would
surpass his father in valor and strength, was given in marriage to the mortal \b \cf4 \ATXht11610 Peleus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , to whom she bore \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . All the gods were invited to the wedding with the exception of \b \cf4 \ATXht10512 Eris\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the goddess of Discord, who gained her revenge by throwing the golden apple into the banquet hall, an act that led to the beauty contest between \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , Hera, and \b \cf4 \ATXht6 At
hena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 at which \b \cf4 \ATXht1013 Paris \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was the judge. Thetis lived in a palace at the bottom of the sea where she took in \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 when he was cast down from Olympus by his mother Hera
and looked after him for nine years. She intervened to stop the revolt of the Olympians led by Hera, sending \b \cf4 \ATXht10206 Briareus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to loosen the knots of the bonds with which Zeus was tied. She protected the \b \cf4 \ATXht114 Argo
nauts\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , one of whom was her husband and tried to make her son Achilles immortal.\par
\par
[12012]\par
\par
\b Tiresias\b0 (or \b Teiresias\b0 )\par
One of the most celebrated soothsayers of antiquity, originally from \b \cf4 \ATXht12006 Thebes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Boeotia. As he had lived for seven years in the shape of a woman, he was asked by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 whether men or women derived the most pleasure from the act of
love. Tiresias sided with women and was struck blind by Hera for having revealed the secret of her sex. In recompense, Zeus gave him the gift of prophecy. He predicted the end of \b \cf4 \ATXht11616 Pentheus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and warned him not to oppose
the cult of \b \cf4 \ATXht10 Dionysus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht408 Ulysses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 descended into the Underworld to ask him about the fate of his return journey to \b \cf4 \ATXht10916 Ithaca\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
\par
[12013]\par
\par
\b Tiryns\par
\b0 City in Argolis to the southeast of \b \cf4 \ATXht10135 Argos\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Its walls were built by the \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 for King \b \cf4 \ATXht11635 Proetus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was succeeded on the
throne by the hero \b \cf4 \ATXht11618 Perseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 spent his childhood there and was thus called Tirynthius.\par
\par
[12014]\par
\par
\b Titans\par
\b0 The children of \b \cf4 \ATXht12102 Uranus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , six males and six females whose names are given differently in various sources. As soon as they were born, their father buried them in the bowels of their mother, the earth, where they
remained until \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 freed them by castrating his father and seizing power from him. When \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 overthrew Cronus in turn, the Titans rose against him. After their defeat they were imp
risoned in \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 under the guard of the Hecatoncheires.\par
\par
[12015]\par
\par
\b Tityus\par
\b0 One of the \b \cf4 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0
(or of Elara). At the instigation of \b \cf4 \ATXht3 Hera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 he tried to rape Leto, but was killed by the arrows of \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht13 Artemis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Cast into \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartaru
s\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he remained forever lying on the ground while two vultures or two serpents devoured his liver, which grew back every new moon.\par
\par
[12016]\par
\par
\b Triptolemus\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10310 Celeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 an
d \b \cf4 \ATXht11312 Metaneira\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . After the death of his brother \b \cf4 \ATXht10405 Demopho÷n\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the recipient of \b \cf4 \ATXht11 Demeter\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's benevolence.\par
\par
[12017]\par
\par
\b Triton
\par
\b0 Son of \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht10309 Celeno\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was the father of \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 's playmate \b \cf4 \ATXht11602 Pallas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was an enemy of \b \cf4 \ATXht311 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 but helped the Argonauts to find their way out of the marshy \b \cf4 \ATXht116 Syrtis\b0 \cf0 .\ATXht0 He caused the death of Misenus because he was jealous of the skill with which \b \cf4 \ATXht215 Aeneas\b0 \cf0 \ATXht315 '\ATXht0 trumpeter blew a conch.\par
\par
[12018]\par
\par
\b Troezen\par
\b0 City in Argolis, on the Gulf of Saronikos, opposite the island of \b \cf4 \ATXht10111 Aegina\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . It was here that the hero \b \cf4 \ATXht12010 Theseus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was born. In its vicinity was located an entrance to \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , which \b \cf4 \ATXht10811 Heracles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 used to return to the surface after capturing the dog \b \cf4 \ATXht312 Cerberus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .
\par
\par
[12019]\par
\par
\b Troy\par
\b0 City in Troas, called Ilium by the Greeks, and the battleground of the ten-year war. Its walls were said to have been built by \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and \b \cf4 \ATXht5 Poseidon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in expiation of their attempt to overthrow \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . The stronghold of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 was called Pergamum.\par
\par
[12020]\par
\par
\b Tyndareus\par
\b0 Greek hero of uncertain lineage. He
was king of \b \cf4 \ATXht11914 Sparta\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and the husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht11206 Leda\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who was loved by \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in the form of a swan. He gave up his throne to \b \cf4 \ATXht11309 Menelaus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , the husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht10808 Helen\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
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[12021]\par
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\b Typhoeus\b0 (or \b Typhon\b0 )\par
A primordial monster, sometimes he is described as a devastating storm, a dragon or a giant. \b \cf4 \ATXht8 Ze
us\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 overcame him with his thunderbolts when he challenged him for dominion over the world. \b \cf4 \ATXht10500 Echidna\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , his sister, bore him a large number of monstrous children, including the \b \cf4 \ATXht301 Nemean lio
\b0 Called Odysseus "the hated" by the Greeks, he was the king of \b \cf4 \ATXht10916 Ithaca\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , son of Laertes and Anticlea, and husband of \b \cf4 \ATXht11615 Penelope\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , by whom he had \b \cf4 \ATXht12005 Telemachus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . As he had been told by an oracle that if he left for the Trojan War he wou
ld be kept away from his homeland for twenty years, he tried to avoid taking part by pretending to be mad, but was unmasked by Palamedes and \b \cf4 \ATXht10115 Agamemnon\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He in turn unmasked \b \cf4 \ATXht10104 Achilles\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0
, whose mother had dressed him in girl's clothes in the royal palace of Skyros. During the siege of \b \cf4 \ATXht12019 Troy\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 he distinguished himself by his bravery, prudence, and eloquence. He obtained Achilles' armor, wrought by \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , after his death instead of the Telamonian, Ajax . He devised the trick of the wooden horse that led to the fall of the city and was one of the Greeks who seized the \b \cf4 \ATXht11601 Palladium\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Aft
er the end of the war, in spite of the protection of \b \cf4 \ATXht6 Athena\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , it took him ten years to make his way home.\par
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[12101]\par
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\b Underworld\par
\b0 A name used for the kingdom of the dead, otherwise known as \b \cf4 \ATXht10800 Hades\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht12003 Tartarus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , or the Infernal Regions.\par
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[12102]\par
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\b Uranus\par
\b0 The name, which means "heaven," was given to the son of Erebus and \b \cf4 \ATXht10700 Gaea
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , who also became his wife. She bore him the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titans\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , \b \cf4 \ATXht10336 Cyclopes\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and \b \cf4 \ATXht10806 Hecatoncheires\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . Ruler of the world until the advent of \b \cf4 \ATXht10332 Cronus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , he was castrated by the latter with a sickle and deposed. From the drops of his blood that fell to the earth were born the \b \cf4 \ATXht10703 Giants\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , while those that fell into the sea generated \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
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[12200]\par
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\b Venus\par
\b0 Roman goddess of love identified with the Greek goddess \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
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[12201]\par
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\b Vulcan\par
\b0 The Roman counterpart of the Greek god \b \cf4 \ATXht7 Hephaestus
\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 .\par
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[12600]\par
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\b Zephyr\b0 (or \b Zephyrus\b0 )\par
The west wind, son of the \b \cf4 \ATXht12014 Titan\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 Astraeus and Eos (the Dawn). He welcomed \b \cf4 \ATXht2 Aphrodite\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 on her birth
and carried her first to \b \cf4 \ATXht10340 Cythera\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 and then Cyprus. He was the only wind left free by \b \cf4 \ATXht10113 Aeolus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 so that he could drive Ulysses' ship toward \b \cf4 \ATXht405 Ithaca\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . O
ut of jealousy he caused the death of the youth \b \cf4 \ATXht10821 Hyacinth\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 who preferred \b \cf4 \ATXht9 Apollo\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 to him.\par
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[12601]\par
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\b Zetes\par
\b0 A winged being and son of \b \cf4 \ATXht10205 Bore
as\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 . He was, with his brother \b \cf4 \ATXht10302 Calais\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , one of the members of the expedition of the \b \cf4 \ATXht106 Argonauts\b0 \cf0 .
